Face Value
by CountryPeach05
Summary: Diamonds were supposed to be the strongest material in the world, but right now James felt anything but.   Multi-Chapt. Rated T for some violence and mild crude humor. Angst, bromance, NO SLASH. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: The Ice Rink

**A/N: Hey, CountryPeach05 here! Check it out—I finally decided to actually get typin' and post my own story...So, THANK **_**YOU **_**for clicking on it! Updates will be regular. Hope you enjoy :) **

**Read on!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Big Time Rush. *Sigh* Only in my dreams, right?…**

Face Value

Chapter 1: The Ice Rink

Sweat dripped from the ends his perfectly conditioned bangs, glancing down his temple under the sticky humidity of his black helmet as James Diamond glided, anticipating the pass. His buddy Carlos swung, successfully striking the puck seconds before getting body checked by one of Ventura County's defensemen. A resounding _clack _rang out -the puck went sailing across the ice as Carlos and the defenseman toppled behind him-and James pushed off, racing toward the blue line.

James grunted when the defenseman checked him from behind, nearly taking his skates out from under him. He flailed; managing to maintain his balance, but the defensemen stole the puck and took off towards the other side of the rink. Logan and Kendall spun around and powered after him. Carlos and James recovered quickly and followed, carving ice with their skates, when team Ventura set up for a slap shot—

—James crashed backwards, slamming hard into the boards. A whistle echoed shrilly to his far left as he staggered and dropped to his knees. He tasted hot copper on his tongue and fell forward, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ice-bright red contrasted sharply against the blinding white surface. He sat on his knees coughing for a second, while his head pulsed rapidly; reeling from the force of whatever hit him.

His friends were surrounding him in an instant; skidding over in a spray of white. They all slid to their knees in front of him, frantically calling his name.

"James, are you okay?" Their voices sounded distant, almost underwater; everything was so heavy.

A sudden wave of heat rushed James' face, and he felt dizzy; instantly longing for the coolness of the ice. He slumped to the side, trying to lie down and close his eyes; desperate to escape the annoying vertigo spinning through his head, but someone had a hold of his jersey. He opened his eyes again to see Kendall, Logan and Carlos bent over him, worry etched all over their features. He looked up at them numbly as Carlos pulled him into a tight hug.

"Be careful, Carlos," Kendall warned. Carlos let go of James, allowing him to sit up by himself then scooted back, letting Kendall take over. Kendall knelt in front of James, talking to him, as he took his buddy's face into his cold hands.

"James, you alright?" His eyebrows drew together in concern as he waited for a response.

James stared past him, focused on the rock he felt scraping at his gums. _Where did his mouth guard go?_ He ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth until the object escaped his split lip and shot out onto the ice between Kendall and Carlos. Carlos let out a little squeak of surprise while Kendall looked down at it, picking it up.

"Tooth." Logan stated matter-of-factly, taking it from Kendall's open palm.

James threw off his hockey gloves, hooking his index finger and sweeping it under his tongue. He nearly gagged as he fished out another that had wedged itself between the gum-line at the back of his mouth. Logan grabbed it from his hand and wrapped both teeth in a tissue before tucking them into his pants pocket. James fell back against the boards, groping at his mouth in obvious shock.

"Okay, somebody get some milk; I think we can save these long enough to find a dentist." Logan ordered. Carlos slapped his helmet and took off.

Logan turned back to James, going into doctor mode. "Let me see, James." He coaxed; hurriedly un-strapping James' helmet and handing it to Kendall. James finally dropped his hands, reluctant to open his mouth. He winced when Logan tried to stretch his mouth open wider, pulling at his split upper lip. Kendall leaned over Logan's shoulder, watching intently as he examined. Logan gripped James's chin carefully and tipped his head back, trying to find enough light to assess the damage. Suddenly remembering something, he reached into another pocket and pulled it out.

"_A pen light_?" Kendall asked incredulously.

"Mmm-hmm" Logan hummed in concentration. He studied a second more, and then clicked his light off, sliding it back into his pocket as he sat back on his heels. James' gaze darted back and forth between Logan and Kendall, begging for a verdict.

"Well, you've got a few teeth in the front kind of pushed in; a couple of them looked chipped." Logan sighed, "You're actually missing three and we only found the two…did you swallow it?"

Before James could respond, Carlos came skidding over with an open carton, sloshing a little of its contents out on Kendall as he came to a halt. "Milk!" he shouted, handing it to Logan before he plopped down beside them, panting.

"Thank you, Carlos." Logan replied; dropping James' teeth inside and folding the carton spout closed.

"Will that really work?" Kendall asked, shaking milk droplets off his hand. He pointed to the little blue and white cardboard box. "How long can we keep them in there?"

"The knocked-out teeth shouldn't be a problem to re-implant, but the milk will only preserve them for about thirty minutes. We have to get James to a dentist ASAP." Logan explained. With that, they all three grabbed James, hauling him to his feet.

"Whhaigghht—" James yelled, his speech badly inhibited due to his current condition. "The gh-ame…mah toofth. I'm not theaving here wit'owt mah other toofth!" He dug his heels into the ice, stiffening.

"The game's a forfeit." Kendall stated, using the edge of his jersey to wipe a trickle of pink off James' chin. "And you heard Logan. We need to get the teeth we _actually have_ set back in before they die."

"Mah toofth…" James moaned. Kendall couldn't help but grimace at the sight of the other teen's mouth as he talked. All James' teeth were reddened by the thin sheen of blood seeping out around his damaged gums; so much so that it reminded Kendall more of a sucker-punched boxer, or something he'd seen in a late night horror movie than the boy he'd been best friends with since pee-wee hockey league.

"We don't have time to look for it, James." Logan declared. Then he shrugged. "You may have swallowed it, anyway."

"I'll look for it!" Carlos exclaimed; then set off in a dash to search the rink.

Kendall and Logan each took one of James's arms, having to physically skate him out of the rink against his will. They exited the ice, bickering all the way until a wide shadow fell over them, demanding their immediate attention.

The three went silent, looking up at the massive form towering above them.

"I didn't find it." Carlos announced, dangling precariously from the man's broad shoulder.

Before the other boys could to react, Freight Train's thick, burly arms shot out to grab them. The behemoth bodyguard threw them over his shoulders alongside Carlos then barreled out of the ice arena, Big Time Rush in tow.

**There's the first chapter, I hope you guys liked it :) Hey, if you read, please review too! I crave your feedback :D It would totally make my day!**


	2. Chapter 2: Rocque Records

**A/N: Yeah! You guys are pretty gear fab! Thank you so, **_**so**_** much to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, and/or favorited. Your messages were too kind! **

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Big Time Rush :P**

Face Value

Chapter 2: Rocque Records

"Ooof!"

"Ow!"

"Ahh!"

"Hey!"

The boys shouted out in protest as Freight Train stuffed them roughly through a narrow opening and slammed the car door behind them. They rolled overtop of each other loudly a few seconds before they were able to untangle themselves and get properly arranged in the backseat. Their record producer and his assistant gazed back at them from the front seat of the car.

"Gustavo! Kelly! Oh good, you can help us. We need to get James to the—" Kendall began, but Gustavo cut him off.

"Dogs, buckle up—we have to go…NOW!" He shouted, throwing his arm over the seat, and jabbing his bling covered fingers at them in total frenzy. The guys hastily clicked their safety belts, staring back at Gustavo, with looks of bewilderment.

"But, where are we going?" Carlos asked as Gustavo spun back around, grabbing the steering wheel and dropping the car into gear.

"The new song—" Gustavo puffed, "Griffin demands to hear it—Right _NOW!"_ He punched the gas, sending Kelly and the boys back against their seats as he backed over the curb and peeled out of the arena parking lot. Two seconds later, they were whizzing down the freeway.

By this time, James was feeling pretty uncomfortable. The initial numbness had long worn off and the real pain was setting in with a vengeance. His eyes watered and he clamped both hands over his mouth, letting out a long whine.

Kendall pulled a clean towel out of his duffle bag and handed to him. James wiped his eyes then bit down on the towel, groaning softly. Kendall rubbed his shoulder. By the window next to him, Logan was starting to get twitchy.

"Ohhhh…_what are we gonna do_?" Logan asked, as he and Carlos looked to their band leader with panic. Kendall let out a sigh, looking to his left and right at the two while he patted James on the back. He pulled out his cell phone, dialing with his thumb.

"It'll be okay, guys," He assured his band-mates, tilting the phone to his ear; "I'll call my mom and ask her to meet us at Rocque Records." He replied, with much needed confidence, "She'll take care of this."

Thanks to Gustavo's hazardous driving, the thirty minute drive from the ice rink to Rocque Records was significantly shortened. Approximately fifteen and a quarter of a minute later they found themselves being dragged straight from the car, through the double glass doors, and past the lobby. Now they were running through the corridors, urged on by Kelly's anxious prodding and Gustavo's relentless, ludicrous bellowing as he plodded after them on his heavy sneaker-clad feet.

_"Okay! We're going—we're going!"_

The boys rounded a corner, pulling a silent James along behind them, who was still clutching the white towel to his mouth. As they neared the end of the long, carpeted hallway just outside Gustavo's studio, Kendall halted. Carlos, Logan, and James, not expecting a sudden stop, slammed into him, and they all toppled over him like dominos. Nevertheless, Kendall jumped back up and continued with his train of thought, seemingly unaffected.

"Look, Gustavo," He panted, "we know Griffin wants to hear the song, but James really needs a dentist right now—"

"—And if he doesn't get these teeth re-implanted _**SOON**_—he'll lose them," Logan added; Carlos twisted his helmet back into place and held up the milk carton, rattling it for emphasis.

"Exactly." Kendall concurred. "So…Can't we do this, oh…_ some other time_?"

Gustavo hesitated, jerking his portly body left and right between the "dogs" and his studio door in deliberation. His heavy gold medallion jangled against his round belly while Kelly glared at him with her palms up and a look that screamed '_Make up your mind, already!'_

"Ahh!" Gustavo jumped. Kelly and the boys nearly leapt out of their skin too, realizing Griffin had suddenly popped up behind them.

"Gustavo! Big Time Rush!" Griffin announced cheerily, adjusting his red silk tie. "I'm ready to hear that new song now." He tugged down the crisp, white French cuffs of his uber-pricey dress shirt before clapping his hands together. "It better be good." He smiled, full of false joviality, then pivoted quickly toward the studio door.

"I _**hate**_ when he does that!" Gustavo grumbled to Kelly, jerking his thumb towards his posh looking boss as he strode into the studio flanked by two towering men wearing black suits. Once Griffin was out of sight, Gustavo turned back to the guys. Their eyes held questions. His options were limited.

"Arrgghhh," He growled in frustration. "Just—get in the booth, do the song, then I'll have Kelly take you." He bargained, waving them through the studio door.

"Can we have a few minutes to clean up?" Kendall asked, pinching his sweaty hockey jersey. They'd barely even had time to change out of their skates on the way. Gustavo looked back to see Griffin glaring at him with impatience.

"No!" Gustavo cried in panic, shoving them into the sound booth. "Get to it—new song _now_!" He did a double take and noticed James was still chewing on the swatch of cloth. "Give me that!-" He demanded, yanking the towel out of his mouth. Little red half moons mottled the surface of the white terry fabric. "_Ew!"_ Gustavo squeaked, and instantly dropped the bloody towel, frantically wiping his hands on his pants. He exited the booth and the boys huddled up.

"Mom should be here soon." Kendall told the circle. "Let's just get through this so we can get James outta here."

Gustavo plopped down behind the soundboard; Griffin leaned forward, pressing the intercom button.

"I don't have all day, boys." He reproved, breaking up their huddle. "Now," Griffin purred, crossing the arms of his perfectly tailored, gray Armani suit, "MAKE ME HAPPY."

Griffin stepped back, grinning in expectation while Gustavo flipped the myriad of toggle switches that brought sound into the booth. Music flooded the room as Gustavo dialed up the volume knob. On the other side of the glass, the boys steeled themselves. They looked to each other thoughtfully as swelling bass and synthesizer filled their ears.

With a nod, they all stepped forward. Kendall took a deep breath and raised his mic stand, taking the first verse:

"_Have you ever had the feeling you're drawn to someone?_

_-yeah- _

_and it isn't anything they could have said or done…"_

Gustavo slid a couple bars on the soundboard; and reached out and fidgeted with a dial on the other end of the table, listening cautiously. The rest of the boys joined in, their voices mingling nicely as they reached the chorus:

"…_looking for a boyfriend_

_-I see that-_

_gimme time, _

_you know I'm gonna be that…"_

Gustavo smiled in relief. Kelly couldn't help but bob to the beat a little bit, swaying with her clipboard beside Gustavo. Behind them, Griffin and his men stood by stoically; however, their triad of dignity was promptly destroyed as Griffin's foot tapping progressed into a somewhat uncharacteristic all-out dance attack.

"…_Your boy-boy-b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend…"_

James's eyes darted back and forth anxiously. It was time for the second verse. _He __**couldn't**__ sing it!_ He turned to his right, swiftly shoving the mic into Logan's un-expectant mouth.

Logan stumbled back in surprise, internally wondering if James had just knocked some of _his_ teeth out. Then he realized he was a beat behind in the song—

"_Ahh_—_LEMMETAKEalittlemoment to_…uh, uh…" Despite catching up, Logan forgot the words. He panicked and threw the microphone at Carlos like it was a hot potato.

"_So when I kick you baby, maybe it won't hurt…" _Carlos sang incorrectly, but with total confidence and full of feeling. Kendall yanked the mic out of his hands, ready to finish the verse when Gustavo killed the track.

"_**WHAT WAS THAT?"**_ He screamed through the speaker, causing the boys to recoil.

"We…_forgot the words_?" Logan shrugged, sheepishly.

"OOH! OOH!" Carlos waved his hands enthusiastically, jumping up and down. "I know! I know the words now! It goes—"

"NO! NOOO! SING YOUR _OWN_ PARTS!" Gustavo bellowed. He slammed his fist down, pounding the play button. "FROM THE TOP!"

"_Awwwww…"_ The boys moaned in exasperation. The song started again as they all stomped back over to their spots, giving Gustavo dirty looks. All grouchiness aside, the second take was going pretty smoothly. Until James came in.

"_Leh me ayf a widdle morman thooh fine day wry roardth…"_ James gave it his best shot. Who knew front teeth were so vital to pop stardom?

"What is he doing?" Kelly wondered through tight lips, casting a worried glance toward Gustavo.

"No…_no, no, no_." Gustavo murmured quietly, trying to keep his temper under control this time. Griffin stared past the glass, face blank.

"_I don nah whah kynah guyf dah ooh pahfur…" _Logan and Carlos exchanged pained glances with Kelly while Kendall focused his death glare at Gustavo.

"I can't understand that tall one." Griffin stated, tapping on the glass. "What is that he's singing-French? Spanish? _Klingon_?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Gustavo freaked out. He pounded the soundboard, slamming his hands down the slide bars and ripped out the power plug. The boys screamed and covered their ears as feedback filled the sound booth.

Griffin, however, seemed unruffled. "What's wrong, Gustavo?" He asked indifferently. Gustavo was about to yell again, so Kelly jumped in to explain the situation.

"James is actually having some, um…dental…problems today. In fact, we were actually on our way to the dentist when you showed up—"

"Did Boyquake ever have 'dental problems'?" Griffin turned to one of his men in dark shades. The important-looking guy typed something into his handheld device; then looked back up at Griffin, shaking his head. Griffin crossed his arms and turned back to Kelly. "Then it's no excuse for BTR." He replied smugly. He walked over to the squealing soundboard, silencing it as the four boys in the sound booth fell over; relieved that the assault on their eardrums had ended.

Griffin took Gustavo's chair and leaned over the intercom. "Do it again." He smiled. "And this time, sing better!" Griffin flipped a switch and music flooded the room.

**Oh, Griffin…why must you be so mean? James is trying the best he can!…Thanks to everyone who read it! Next chapter's where the action starts to pick up :) Expect an update sometime next week!**


	3. Chapter 3: Marred

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I told you guys to expect an update by next week-Well...technically it's next week now...And I just couldn't wait any longer ;D You guys rock! So, here ya go…**

**Disclaimer:**** Carlos, Logan, James, Kendall…I own not neither these boys, nor their delightful television program.**

Face Value

Chapter 3: Marred

"_Your boy-boy-b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend…"_

James' mic stand clattered to the floor as he threw it down, promptly rushing out of the sound booth.

"James!" Kendall called, racing after him. Logan and Carlos gaped at each other; briefly stunned, then jumped over the fallen stand and dashed after the other boys, leaving the music track to play on in the empty sound booth.

* * *

><p>James charged through the men's room door, hot tears already spilling over. He kicked the trashcan violently, sending a scatter of paper towels across the tile floor, then drew back his fist, attacking the wall until his hands hurt. He staggered backwards, breathing heavily, and fell on the sink with exhaustion, gripping the porcelain tightly as he stared up at his own reflection.<p>

James choked on the scream. _The face. _Tremors seized his body and he burst into new tears; his vice grip on the sink the only thing keeping his knees from totally collapsing under him.

_James Diamond wasn't beautiful anymore._

Light scratches covered his face; his lip was puffy and tight, with an angry pink slice running across it diagonally. Dried blood settled into the creases at the corners of his mouth, smeared down his quivering chin. One of his large front teeth and the tooth beside it were missing, in addition to the right canine below them. The rest of his teeth on his right side looked like someone had tried to smash them in with a hammer, tilting inward, twisted and cracked.

His light brown eyes locked onto the mirror and swam; his vision blurring into nothing as he broke down, wailing at his marred reflection.

James brought his eyes back up, staring at his image, frozen in place. He couldn't move—all he could do was stand there, screaming, clinging desperately to the sides of that sink, while the tears streamed down his face. Their saltiness stung his busted lip, but he let them roll; dripping off his chin and soaking into the collar of his shirt.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the door and fled the sink, barricading himself in the nearest stall.

* * *

><p>"Where do you think you're going?" Logan, Kendall, and Carlos spun around, coming face-to-face with Griffin and his crew. Kendall pushed open the bathroom door, motioning for Carlos and Logan to go on without him. Kelly and Gustavo rounded the corner, witnessing as Kendall glared back at their band owner, Arthur Griffin, fearlessly.<p>

* * *

><p>Logan walked into the vacant restroom, stepping over the mess of crumpled paper as he made his way toward the only closed cubicle. "James?" He pecked on the door softly, "You okay?" Logan leaned against the stall, waiting for an answer. His head dropped when he heard haggard sniffling on the other side of the door. "C'mon, we know you're in there James," He gently coaxed, rattling the lock, "Will you please open the door?" A few seconds passed, and still no response. Logan turned to Carlos, shrugging. "He won't talk to me."<p>

Carlos put his mouth up to the door and yelled, "**Hey!** **James!**"

James tried to ignore his friends. He curled up into a ball on the toilet, drawing his knees up to his chest when he noticed Carlos peering at him through the crack around the door.

"Go 'way, Carloath!" He shouted, followed by a loud hiccup. "I'm fthine…I juhth—had to looth the baffroom."

It was quiet for a minute and James breathed out shakily, hoping the silence meant Logan and Carlos had finally left.

"_Hey-_you're not using the bathroom!" Carlos' voice suddenly chimed overhead.

"Um—_**Embarrafth-ing!**_" James looked up; expecting to see Carlos hanging over the top of the stall, but he was gone. "Aah!—" two pairs of hands grabbed his ankles, dragging him under the door.

Carlos and Logan released his feet, smiling. James crossed his arms and glared up at them from the floor.

* * *

><p>"What's going on? What is the problem, here?" Griffin asked.<p>

"What's the problem?" Kendall repeated. His vocal pitch rose in agitation. "How can all of you be so stupid?" He asked incredulously. "You can see James is hurt. We need a dentist." He jerked a thumb toward the restroom door. **"**_**He just took a puck to the mouth on a slap shot, and **_**you**_** haul us here to sing another stupid song!" **_Kendall shoved the door open roughly, then turned back around and yelled: _**"GIVE US A FRIGGIN' BREAK, GRIFFIN!**_"

Kelly held her breath as she watched him storm into the bathroom. Gustavo looked ready to burst.

"_Bad Boy_." Griffin quipped happily, straightening his collar. Kelly and Gustavo's mouths dropped open, perplexed by his inappropriately calm reaction. Arthur Griffin smiled at his crew, "Glad I made Kendall the one in this band. He's goooood." Kelly and Gustavo gawked at each other in utter confusion. When they looked back, Griffin had vanished.

* * *

><p>Kendall walked into the restroom and found James sitting in the floor, glaring up at his other two band-mates. They all turned around and looked at Kendall as he pulled his phone out to check the clock. More than a half-hour had passed since they'd arrived at the studio. He ran a hand over his face.<p>

"These teeth aren't gonna last." He sighed, "Thanks to Griffin, now there's no way we'll make it to the dentist on time." He crossed his arms, biting down on his thumbnail. "What do we do?" Kendall rested his elbow on top of one of the urinals, lost in thought.

James curled into a ball and buried his head in his knees. Carlos came over and sat down beside him as quiet took over.

"I'll do it." Everyone looked up, turning toward the source of the voice. "…I know enough about medical procedure, I'm pretty sure I can re-implant the teeth…at least well enough to last 'til we can get to a real dentist." He dug his hands into his pockets, searching their faces for approval.

"You'll do it?—_Seriously_—you think you can really do it, Loge?" Kendall asked, hopeful. James jumped up and stared at them, listening intently.

"Yeah," Logan answered. "It's not that hard, I read about dental reinsertion in a medical journal." He replied confidently. "James, you come over here by the light," Logan pulled James over by the sink as he washed his hands. "Okay, now I just need the—**CARLOS!**"

"NO, Carlos!—_what are you doing?"_ Kendall ran over, jerking the milk carton away from Carlos' lips. James shrieked in horror.

"I got thirsty…" Carlos whimpered. Logan held the carton over the sink, pouring the remaining milk into his hand. The two teeth fell into his palm and the boys breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Kendall shook his head at Carlos. "You drank James' tooth milk? Dude, that's so gross…"

"Ready?" Logan made James sit down on the sink. "You'll probably feel this, but it won't be as bad as getting them knocked out." Logan peeled James' lip back gently, carefully placing the first tooth against the gum. James flinched slightly as Logan applied pressure.

"Ow—_ow, ow, ow_…" He squeaked while Logan pressed down on the tooth, sliding it back into the empty socket with a nasty popping sound. Kendall and Carlos stood by, watching closely.

Logan removed his hand and let James close his mouth. He reached for the other tooth as James rubbed his achy jaw. Carlos and Kendall remained close by, completely still. The soft sound of Logan's focused breathing seemed to echo off the tile walls, the only noise in the enveloping silence.

"Ya doin' okay, James?" He asked quietly, wiping his fingers on a paper towel. James exhaled and nodded. "Alright, just one more." Logan laid his fingers on the side of his friend's face, gently tipping his chin back again. But, his concentration was swiftly broken when a loud commotion erupted outside the door, diverting everyone's attention.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I DON'T CARE GUSTAVO<strong>_**! ONE OF MY BOYS IS HURT!**" There was a loud crash, followed by a few seconds of jumbled racket, before they heard a pair of heels clicking hurriedly down the hall.

**Right on! Hey, you're still reading :) I adore that. **

**Well, then…How about this chapter? I wanna know what you're thinking-Talk to me! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Patchwork

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to review! There've been quite a few alerts and people adding this to their favorites as well! I can't believe it! **

**A SPECIAL THANKS to BTR'slovesong and PizzaTop21 for reviewing every chapter so far, you guys are nothing short of stellar :D**

**Disclaimer:**** Guess what? No.**

Face Value

Chapter 4: Patchwork

"Stupid LA traffic…" Mrs. Knight grumbled, plowing through the door. She looked up and saw the boys; instantly making a bee-line to the one sitting on the sink. "Oh! James, sweetie, are you okay?" She cried, pushing the others out of her way. He nodded sadly and she kissed his cheek, squeezing him in a hug. "How are those teeth?" she cooed.

"We ran out of time, so Logan had to do it." Carlos explained.

"Yeah—but he still needs to see a real dentist." Kendall added.

Logan held up James's other spared tooth. "Just one more and I'll be done."

"Oh, Brooke is gonna kill me…" Kendall's mom replied, releasing James and stepping back to look at him. "Awww…you poor thing—oh, just look at you—_your lip is swollen_…" She prattled on, cupping his face in her hands. She smoothed his hair away from his eyes. "Oh, James, honey—_you've been crying_…" She exclaimed; her voice teeming with motherly pity. James shrank back immediately, as she started digging around in her purse for a tissue.

"Mom?—" Kendall tried to get her attention, taking notice of James' obvious humiliation. "Um, Mom?" She stopped rooting and glanced up at him. He raised his palms, rolling his eyes around, "…_Men's room_."

She scanned her surroundings. "Oh." She noted, lips pursed; then her concerned eyes fell back on James. "Will you be okay, Pun'kin?" She asked sweetly. He nodded energetically and she turned to go; only to halt after a few steps and flip back around, stretching towards him. "_I'll be right back, baby—okay?"_ She stated, in a rushed tone, "_I'm gonna get you some ice._" She patted the back of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before she dashed off again. She reached out for the door, then stopped, spinning around. All four boys glared back. "Okaaay_,_" She held her hands up in surrender, side-stepping out the door. But before it had time to close, the woman had stuck her head back in. She held up her index finger. "**I'll be** **right back**—" She affirmed once more, and finally, poor, red-faced James was free from her fussing. At least for the moment.

* * *

><p>Logan stepped back after placing the last of James' teeth. "Now, they're in there, but they're still kind of loose, so you'll need to be really careful." He cautioned James as Carlos and Kendall helped him down. "The dentist will need to fix the rest and stabilize those with wire so they don't come out again." Logan took him by the arms, turning him toward the mirror, "Wanna see?"<p>

"Th'not wh'eally." James looked at the floor. He was speaking a little clearer now that the teeth were back in, but after seeing himself the last time—he didn't think he _could_ _bear _looking into that mirror again.

Kendall sensed this and patted him on the back. "C'mon," He encouraged, raising his brows, "it can't be any worse." Finally James lifted his head, meeting his own eyes.

He examined himself in the mirror and sighed.

"I withd I had the other one…" He muttered sullenly, turning back around. He tried to smile. "…Thankth, Logan."

"…Welcome…" Logan smiled somberly as James trudged past, head down.

"Hey, Logan?" James looked up, suddenly thoughtful. "…If I did th'wallow it, _what are the chancesth_?..." The other three stared at him a moment, then shuddered.

"Ok_aaaa_y! _**Not **_answering_ that!_…" Logan's eyes widened and he let out an awkward giggle, "Uh, _heh-heh_…bleep, blap, bloop—OUT!" He grabbed Carlos, pushing him through the door in front of him.

Kendall shook his head, laughing "_**Really**__, James_?" His expression seemed conflicted between disgust and amusement. He turned around, chuckling, then followed the other guys out the door, leaving James alone in the bathroom.

"But," James called after them, "I need my theeth!" He spun back to the mirror, pausing just long enough to wiggle jazz fingers in front of his face, then scurried out of the restroom to catch up with his friends.

**Okay, chicky babes-So this chapter was short and so is the next one. I'm thinkin' double update? Yep. Well alrighty then. But I need you to review! It makes my magical updater work much faster. Love you guys! **_**Remember**_**-review-and chapter 5 will be up shortly!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Dentist's Office

**A/N: Wow! You guys are awesome! Your reviews made me feel all fuzzy and blush XD You've definitely earned it-****Here's the second of the double scoop!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not, have never, most likely will never—own Big Time Rush.**

Face Value

Chapter 5: The Dentist's Office

"Well, Mr. Diamond, your friend did a good job. Lucky thing he knew what to do, otherwise you would have lost these teeth for sure…" Dr. Travis mused. The older gentleman focused through the small, binocular-like magnifier attached to his black, wayfarer glasses and reached for another tool. Just what tool, James wasn't sure. By this point, James didn't care.

…The brash, blinding yellow light shining down above him, the hard vinyl-covered chair beneath him, the rife odor of fluorine permeating the small office, the blood rushing to his head…he barely noticed any of it. _Nope_. Blissful, nitrous oxide continued to pipe through the small rubber mask perched over his nose, filling his lungs with the delightful gas; until he was only vaguely aware of his surroundings…

"Suction," James' eyes wandered the asbestos ceiling as the dental hygienist seated by his head grabbed her vacuum-like straw and poked it around the back of his mouth. The white-haired dentist leaned over him once more, his clean, pressed coat sleeves brushing against James' cheek.

Suddenly, the mask disappeared and a familiar whirr met his ears as Dr. Travis pressed the chair's mechanical foot pedal, raising him back to an upright position.

James looked around, blinking sluggishly as his senses began to clear. That's when he noticed he was holding Mrs. Knight's hand.

"Ooh—!" He dropped her hand immediately, blushing fiercely. His index finger shot up, _"Never speak of this again!"_ he wanted to spout, but his lips couldn't form the words. Novocain.

"You're all done now." She whispered in a motherly tone, combing his hair away from his face. She rubbed his arm; "You did _good_, James." Mrs. Knight couldn't help but laugh a little at the teen's awkwardness when he clasped his hands together in his lap, looking away from her self-consciously.

The old dentist slid over to the counter, rolling on his little stool across the green tile floor. He flipped on the x-ray board, pointing to James' dental pictures with the tip of his pencil.

"We were able to get a lot finished today," He began, as his assistant picked up a manila folder, taking it towards the records room. "We were able to wire the two here that your friend replaced, straightened a few here, and then filled in some of the chips in this area." He snapped off his gloves, tossing them into the biohazard bin. "Of course, there's still a lot left to do." He picked up a small mirror, handing it to James.

James took the plastic handle and peered into the mirror, examining the wire work looping through his teeth. His cheeks bulged with gauze packing.

"You took quite a hit, son," Dr. Travis explained, "Two of your teeth are embedded; we couldn't fix those today." A couple of his gloved fingers hooked James' mouth like a fish, lifting the lip back. He pointed to the damaged teeth and James winced, following the dentist's fingers in the reflection of the mirror. "And you still need an implant for that space on top." The hygienist re-entered, handing him a notepad, and he let go of James' lip. "Since you're missing a tooth in the front, you'll need a higher-quality implant, custom made." He continued coolly, scribbling away at the notepad. "I want to schedule you an appointment with an oral surgeon a couple of weeks from now to remove the wire and fix the impacted teeth..."

"**AHH!**" James gasped, nearly inhaling the fluff packed between his gums. Oral surgeon…_WEEKS?_ His head jerked left to right, between the dentist and Mrs. Knight. "But-but-" he stuttered, staring into the handheld mirror, "_I need to be pretty __**NOW**_!" He screamed; but everything just came out in a garbled mess, muffled by his mouthful of white gauze. He slammed down the mirror, frustrated. Mrs. Knight looked at him pitifully as the dentist continued.

"He should take it easy the rest of the day, no wild games or anything. Soft foods, Tylenol for any pain or discomfort." He handed a plastic pouch and list of instructions to Mrs. Knight while the hygienist removed James' paper bib. "Ice will help with the swelling; I'd change the packing after you get home." He turned to James, standing up. "Well, young man," he said, giving James' foot a gentle slap, "you're good to go. Call me if you have any problems." And with that, he strolled off to tend the next patient.

Mrs. Knight got up as James swung his legs over the side of the dentist's chair. He stood up slowly, feeling light-headed—Residual effects of the laughing gas and laying upside down for nearly two hours to blame, no doubt.

_Two weeks like_ this_ is waaaay too long…_James could have cried on the spot. Mrs. Knight took him by the arm carefully, guiding him out of the exam room.

"Okay, James. Let's go schedule your appointment."

**The Dentist's name is actually in homage to my childhood pediatric dentist! He was the coolest dentist ever…and then I got too old for him. Bit of useless trivia for ya, there.**

**Hmmm…I miss the treasure box ;)**

**Thanks for reading!...review?**


	6. Chapter 6: Home

**A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews, alerts, favorite stories, and favorite authors…or even just for the hits! I'm beyond shocked that anyone actually took the time to read this thing, much less review or add favorites so I THANK YOU! **

**Chapters will start getting longer from this point on. Hope ya'll enjoy! I know the chapter titles are terrible, but I think naming them **_**something**_** helps a reader keep their place better. At least it does for me…Okay, enough chit-chat. Onward to the story!**

**Disclaimer:**** Big Time Rush…Is not mine.**

Face Value

Chapter 6: Home

"Are you okay, honey?"

Mrs. Knight stood beside James in the elevator of the Palm Woods building. He broke free from his trance and looked up at her, brows raised in question.

"You okay, hon?" she repeated, studying his face. He'd been quiet the whole way home.

This time, James licked his lips and nodded; giving her his best half-smile before shifting his gaze to the changing numbers above the double-doors. He dug his hands into his pockets and watched the floors tick by in silence, mulling over the tiresome events of the day.

His gums ached; a sign that his mouth was finally beginning to wake up from the dentist's anesthesia. His tongue ran the length of wire weaving through his damaged teeth. He couldn't keep it from going over and over again to the soft hole there; a constant reminder that he still lacked that one long-lost tooth-That he was incomplete. He flicked his tongue once more over the warm, spongy space, taking in its coppery taste, as the elevator _dinged_; opening on their floor.

James stepped out of the lift and trudged down the hallway toward apartment 2J, following Mrs. Knight from a distance as she powered ahead at a brisk pace, purse tucked away under her arm. She reached the door and waited for James to catch up.

"Here we go," she smiled, reaching for his arm as he meandered over. "Now, let's get you inside and see if we can make you more comfortable." She patted his back gently, and leaned forward to grasp the knob. They stepped inside the door, barely making it two steps before they were ambushed.

"James! Are you okay? "

"What'd they do? Did it hurt?"

"Are your teeth fixed? Can I see?"

Mrs. Knight turned and closed the door behind them, quickly throwing her stuff onto the table nearby.

"Ack! Boys, be careful! James is sore." She called over the swarm. The other three backed away from James obediently, and fell quiet, dropping onto the couch. They watched as Mrs. Knight took James toward the kitchen area; their eyes glued on his every movement as he sat down on one of the barstools at the counter.

Mrs. Knight rifled through the cabinets, tending to James. She reached into the top where they stored the medicine and brought down a bottle of Tylenol and the tube of Ora-Jel.

Carlos couldn't sit still any longer and went to stand in the kitchen with them. Kendall and Logan followed directly behind. Mrs. Knight filled a tall glass with water, sliding it to James with a couple of the small pills. He toyed with the packing pinched between his teeth.

"Here, honey, you can take that out now; it's time to change it." Mrs. Knight replied, holding out the kitchen wastebasket.

James pulled out the nasty gauze, pitching the wad into the trash with a grimace. He picked up the pills, tossing them into his mouth, and swallowed them down before wiping his face on the collar of his shirt. His mouth was still numb enough that his lips had trouble keeping water between them and some of it—_a lot of it_—leaked out, drizzling down his chin.

Mrs. Knight stepped back from the sink, drying her hands on a small dish towel. She handed the towel to James, setting a little white square of clean gauze by his glass.

He wiped at his shirt and cleaned up the little bit of water that had spilled on the countertop as Carlos hopped up, sitting on the bar. Logan took the other barstool by James and Kendall leaned against the edge of the counter.

Once James' mouth was taken care of and the gauze was effectively replaced according to _Logan's_ standards, Mrs. Knight ordered him to the couch.

"There. That'll make you feel better. Now, go lie on the couch and rest." She bustled over, stacking up throw pillows and made him sit down. "Don't you move from this couch this afternoon, now-You hear?" She waved a finger at him, pushing him down into the orange cushions. "Dr. Travis said you needed to rest; you've had one heck of a day, James." She fluffed vigorously at the mound of pillows, and then spun around grabbing the television remote and about a million other things she thought he might need. Logan, Kendall and Carlos sat down on the other end of the sectional, watching dizzily while Mrs. Knight scurried around the apartment, fetching various items.

"T'anks Mama Knight." James replied, kicking off his shoes.

"Oh, your welcome, baby. Do you need anything else? Let's see," She looked him over, ticking out a mental list on her fingers. "You've had your meds, fresh gauze, pillows, remote…Oh! Are you cold? Yes. I think you're cold—I'll get you a blanket."

Kendall, Logan and Carlos erupted in laughter, knowing exactly what came next. James tried to protest, but before he could open his mouth, Mrs. Knight had returned with a tall stack of thick, fuzzy blankets; proceeding to bundle him tightly.

Finished, she stepped back from the couch, "We're gonna need more blankets." She declared, looking down at James, hands on her hips. "Ooh, and some ice!" She scooped her purse off the table, skipping out the door. "I'll be right back." She called; then stuck her head back in, pointing at the other three. "Boys, make sure he stays on that couch, okay?—_**Don't**_ let him get up. For _anything_." She eyeballed them seriously, doorknob in hand, before she whirled around and dashed down the hall.

As soon as the door slammed, James burst out of his blanket cocoon, leaping up.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Logan, Carlos, and Kendall sprung to their feet, and instantly dog-piled him flat into the couch. James sat up and they shoved him back into the cushions. So, he tried again. With the same result.

"Hey! No fair—let me up!" James cried, trying to wiggle free.

"No!" Kendall yelled, pinning James' arms over his head. Carlos grabbed his legs, tucking them under his armpit for better leverage.

"Arrggh…Lemme go!"

"No way," Carlos retorted, dodging a kick to his helmet. "_Mama Knight _said not—to let—you—off—of this couch…" His words came out staggered as he darted side to side, evading James' punts. "For _**anything**_."

James raised his head, growling "Let. Me. Up!"

"Uh, Noooo." Logan asserted. He climbed up on hands and knees and straddled James, holding him down while Carlos sat on his feet.

"This is th'upid." James rolled his pretty eyes, "_Let go already_!"

"Nope. _Uh-uh_. Not happenin'." Carlos replied, wrapping James' legs in a bear hug.

"Let me go!" James slipped a hand free and swung, attempting to knock Logan off of his 'washboard abs', but Kendall grabbed his wrist before he connected. He leaned down into James' face.

"You're supposed to be resting. So _you_ should stop flailing!" Kendall grunted, struggling to maintain his hold on the wiry pretty-boy.

"_Let go of'th me_ and I will!" James demanded.

"Oh, yeah?" Logan scoffed, lying across his middle. "Give us one good reason why we should,"

"—I have to pee."

"_**Let him up**_—" Logan muttered, clambering off James in such a hurry that he fell into the floor. Carlos and Kendall released their hold immediately, scooting away from him and James jumped up, victorious, then took off in a dead sprint for the bathroom.

**...**

**Alright! Six chapters in! **

**I'm so excited about this weekend. If you're the praying type, say a little something for my team, To Write Love On Her Arms. We're participating in one of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's 'Out of The Darkness' walks on Saturday. Love is the movement. It's time we stop the bleeding.**

**Thanks for reading : )**

**Catch you guys later!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Orange Couch

**A/N: Happy Sunday afternoon! Okay, so I really like this chapter. My highly OCD brain knows it's in no way perfect, but still, I have to admit it was probably the most fun to write. You, however, may hate it…and you have every right to your own opinion…So exercise your right-review at the bottom of the page!**

**Disclaimer:**** I am not profiting in a monetary way by writing this strange story about BTR.**

Face Value

Chapter 7: The Orange Couch

The muffled, polyphonic bleep of someone's cell phone sounded through the apartment, drowning out the flush as James stepped out of the bathroom, flipping off the light switch.

"It's me," Kendall remarked, reaching into his pocket to retrieve the chiming phone. "Text message." James wandered over by the rest of the guys while Kendall skimmed over the screen, reading. "Mom thinks Katie's been alone too long, she wants one of us to go down to the pool and check on her…"

"I'll do it!" James cried, jumping into the air. He clasped his hands together in front of his face dramatically. "Please'th…I gotta get out of thi'th apartment!" Kendall squinted back at him, cynicism emanating from his eyebrows.

"You've been here for what, like, _maybe_ twenty minutes?" Kendall laughed before finding himself nose to nose with a can of 'Cuda.

He rolled his eyes, "James…" He sighed, crossing his arms. "I'm not afraid of your man spray…"

James locked eyes with him, staring him down. There was no way in heck he'd let his escape mission be thwarted now. He held his stance, training the little black can right on his buddy's face, trigger finger in ready position.

"I'll do it, Kendall. I was just going down to get a smoothie anyway," Logan stated happily, strolling over to the door, much to James' dismay.

_Crap. _James' thought; His eyes darted around the room in a split second's confusion, before he lunged toward the bar.

"Take me with you, or the laptop_ die'ths_!" James shouted. He gave the 'Cuda can a spin, flipping it about in his hand with all the skill of a Vegas flair bartender, then aimed directly for the hard drive.

Logan let out a yelp, both hands flying up to his mouth. "Ah!—_you wouldn't dare!_"

James reached behind his back and whipped out a can of 'Cuda Massive Hold mousse, giving it a quick shake. He popped the cap, laying his thumb across the plastic nozzle. He glared back at Logan, dropping his voice to a menacing octave as he pointed both cans at the computer, "_**Oh, but I**_** WOULD…**_**Logie**_**.**"

"_FIGHT_!" Carlos screamed; head-butting James square in the gut before he had the chance to fire his 'Cuda weapons. Their bodies slammed into the couch, scooting that part of it a few feet across the apartment as James' 'Cuda products went flying out of his hands, rolling across the floor.

"COOL IT, GUYS!" Kendall shouted, pulling Carlos off of James.

Carlos backed away, righting his helmet; and leaving James choking and wheezing on the couch, the wind totally knocked out of him. Logan _started_ breathing again and let out a sigh of relief, glad that the situation was seemingly under control.

"I have a better idea." Kendall began. All three turned their attention to their leader as that famous 'I-have-a-plan' look crossed the blonde's face. "Mom said James couldn't leave the couch, right?..." He flashed a crooked smile. "Carlitos?"

Carlos gave a quick nod and the two bent down, grabbing opposite ends of the couch.

"What? W-wait—what are you—?"Logan sputtered, watching as they lifted the center part of the sectional, James and all. "Wait—I…don't think…" Logan spun around, dragging his hands through his dark hair, while Carlos and Kendall walked right past him, carting James into the hallway. Logan hesitated, pondering the implications of going after them. The 'Cuda mousse can rolled toward his foot and he gave it a swift kick.

"..._I gotta get new friends!"_ He finally yelled; vaulting straight out of 2J as the door slammed behind him.

* * *

><p>Logan ran down the hall, just in time to see his friends boarding the elevator.<p>

"Get in, Logan! Quick!" Carlos yanked his arm, pulling him in just as the doors closed. He squished into the front corner, steadying himself against the wall as it took off, his friends laughing giddily at their ingenious plan.

"Woo-hooooOOOOOOO!" James let out a shout, pumping his fist wildly.

"Oh, man, I can't believe we fit this couch in here!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Believe it or not, that was actually easier than a cow." Carlos declared, as James bounced on the couch, letting out another victory yell.

Kendall slapped James' palm in a high-five, "Oh yeah—greatest idea ever! _We are brilliant_."

Logan couldn't help smiling as they pulled him in, mussing up his spiked hair, high-fives and knuckle bumps all around.

The doors opened on the ground floor and the four boys, and the couch, made their way through the lobby, headed toward the pool. Until they ran into Katie.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked. "I thought James was supposed to stay in the apartment." She eyed the partial orange couch suspiciously, adding "…_With_ you guys."

They lowered the couch portion and sat James down in the middle of the lobby floor. Kendall nodded confidently to the guys and stepped forward to present their case. "Okay, One: Mom said not to let James _off the couch_. She never said we couldn't leave the apartment, And Two: She asked us to check on you,—so here we are!"

His little sister stared up at him, unblinking. "You're still gonna get busted." She started walking away, when Kendall reached into his back pocket.

"Ten dollars?" He offered, pleading look in his eyes. Carlos, James, and Logan fell in behind him, matching the expression.

Katie reached up, snatching the bill. "I saw nothing." She pocketed the money, starting back towards the pool, magazine under her arm. "Oh, and Kendall?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"She's getting out of the van."

* * *

><p>"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"<p>

Katie shook her head, giggling at her "brothers" as the three shot into action, fumbling to scoop up James and the couch; then raced off, barreling back through the Palm Woods lobby, screaming all the way.

Meanwhile, Katie went back to the pool, settling into one of the white lounge chairs just as her mom walked up carrying a big brown paper bag.

"Hey, Baby,"

"Hi, Mom" Katie answered, looking up for only a fraction of a second before turning back to her hand-held video game. She stuck her tongue out, pounding the keys mercilessly.

"Have you heard anything from the boys?" Mrs. Knight's eyebrows knitted together as she observed her daughter's violent game-play method. Katie continued to hammer away at the buttons, thumbs going 90 miles a minute, until the electronic device emitted the desired victory tone. Katie punched at the air, triumphantly, and set the game down on the table beside her stack of tween magazines.

"Yep," she stated, finally giving her mother her full attention, "Kendall came down to check on me a little while ago, said James was asleep." She fibbed.

"Oh," Mrs. Knight clucked, resting a hand on her chest, "Poor thing…"

Katie nodded solemnly, feigning sympathy while her eyes drifted left; glancing furtively toward the table. Honestly, she couldn't wait for her mom to leave so she could tear into her new issue of Pop Tiger and get all the juicy deets about the upcoming Varsity Vampire movie. "Yep. Poor James," Katie sighed, eyeing the magazine again, "Maybe a nap will make him feel better."

Mrs. Knight turned back to Katie, shifting the bag in her arms. "Well, I need to get these groceries put away. Do you need anything before I go, Katie?" Katie shook her head, reaching for the magazine beside her. "Okay, be upstairs for dinner, alright?" Mrs. Knight continued. "And no Five-card Stud with the housekeeping. They work hard for that money."

* * *

><p>"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"<p>

"Hey guys! How are ya—_**WHAT the**_—?" Camille leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with the infamous orange couch and flipped over one of the lobby chairs, landing directly on top of Guitar Dude. She brushed her hair out of her face, staring ahead inquisitively as Big Time Rush disappeared around the corner. "_What are they doing with that couch?_" She puzzled.

"Couch!" Guitar Dude shouted, grabbing up his guitar. He began to strum out an improvised couch tune, while Camille sat there on his lap, confused.

* * *

><p>"Hit the button! Hit the button!" Kendall yelled, as they neared the elevator.<p>

Logan stretched his arm full-length, finger extended; punching in the round, white key, the very instant it came into reach…but the doors _didn't_ open.

"NOOOOO! Come on, _come on, comeoncomeoncomeooonnnn_!" Carlos bounced, jabbing the up button over and over again, impatiently. He whirled around, facing the others, a wild look in his dark eyes. "AHH!—The elevator won't come down!—Whadda we do? _Whadda we do_?"

All eyes locked on the counter above the double doors. The elevator was stopped on the second to top floor.

And they were in the lobby.

"…Um…STAIRS!" Kendall pointed, dragging Carlos and Logan when he spun his end of the couch, swinging it wide.

"TH'AIRS?" James questioned, sitting up ramrod straight.

"—_WHAT_?" He and Logan shouted together.

"No choice!" Kendall shouted as he and Carlos pulled harder, forcing the doubtful two to comply. "Get the door, Loge!"

Logan let go and ran ahead, peeling down the end of the hall towards the stairwell exit when the door to the flight opened and a portly man stepped into the hallway—headed straight in their direction. Logan let out a yelp and immediately lurched into reverse; stumbling over his own feet as he ran back up the hall toward the rest of the guys.

"Abort! _Abort!"_ he shrieked, never pausing as he raced right past them—in obvious fear for his life—

"What the? Logan?"

"HEY!" The other three's heads snapped up, instantly recognizing the angry voice. _Alright_,…so that would explain why Logan is freaking out…

"Ahh! _Oh my gosh_—BITTERS!" Carlos screamed, running straight into the wall. Carlos's end of the couch dropped and James went rolling off into the floor on top of him; while Kendall crumpled, unable to bear the full weight of the couch alone.

Logan scrambled back to them, running screaming down the hallway as James and Kendall leapt up, hauling Carlos to his feet. Bitters broke into a jog, charging towards them. The boys let out a collective scream, dashing off as the hotel manager gained on them, growing closer by the second as their feet pounded up the carpeted hall.

The four halted suddenly near the end of the corridor, collecting their wits for a moment. Something was missing. The elevator _dinged_ as they looked up at each other with wide eyes. "THE COUCH!"

They hurtled back to the overturned couch, flipped it over their shoulders, and the four friends from Minnesota sprinted for it, zipping straight into the waiting elevator just as the doors closed behind them.

By the time Reginald Bitters rounded the corner, they were no where to be seen.

"Darn kids!" he grouched, tromping back through the lobby and snatching a bag of fries from the hands of some unwitting teenager. He shoveled a greasy handful into his mouth, chewing angrily, and finally retired to his office; defeated.

* * *

><p>Mrs. Knight passed the lobby fish tanks, weaving through the chairs toward the front desk, stopping when she noticed an object lying in her path. She steadied the grocery sack on her hip, and bent to retrieve it from the carpet. <em>"That looks familiar…"<em> She thought, as she held the fluffy throw pillow at arm's length. Her thoughts were interrupted however, when the Palm Wood's famous red-headed kid came bustling through.

"**Hide me**—my mom wants me to be in a _doll commercial!"_ Tyler cried, stealing the pillow and burying his face into the lush, velvet fabric.

"Ahh! Tyler!"

"Just do it!"

* * *

><p>The elevator stopped on the second floor; the doors opened and BTR shot out in a flash, gunning for 2J just as fast as their little skinny-jean clad legs could carry them.<p>

"_GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO!"_

They slammed through the door, letting the couch drop the second they'd crossed the threshold. It landed with a heavy thud and the frenzied four threw their weight behind it, shoving it across the floor and back in place. James leapt over the back of the couch and flopped down into position while Kendall, Carlos, and Logan hurried, re-burying him in blankets before they collapsed in a pile next to him, exhausted and panting.

...

**:)**

**One of my favorite chapters…and it wasn't even originally in the story. The whole spiel came to me in a random after-thought! Hope you guys found a bit of entertainment in there somewhere. Even if it was a huge random mess :P Whew! What happens next? Are the guys busted? Did they get away with murder? You're gonna have to review to find out!**

**P.S. Who's stoked for Big Time Strike?**


	8. Chapter 8: Okay

**A/N: Yeah! We have over 30 reviews now! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, alerted, favorited, etc. Without you, I'd just be sittin' here reviewing MYSELF! And then I would feel silly…**

_**SPECIAL SHOUT OUT ALERT!:**_** Thank you to BTR'slovesong, PizzaTop21, & mavk4444 for reviewing EVERY CHAPTER to date. You guys are super sweet! This one's for YOU!**

**Disclaimer:**** BTR is not mine, but if I ever do happen run into them, I'm definitely putting them in my pocket and taking them home ;)**

Face Value

Chapter 8: Okay

Minutes later, Mrs. Knight returned clutching a grocery sack and an armload of blankets. The boys all rushed over to help, taking her things.

"Oh," She breathed, "Thank you, guys." She dropped her purse onto the counter as the boys got busy putting everything away. "James," He turned around from packing a case of fruit water in the refrigerator and found her staring back at him sternly. "What are you doing up? I told you not to move from that couch." She grabbed him by the elbow, pulling him out of the kitchen area. She made him sit down; giving him a disapproving frown before concern took over, flooding her delicate features.

"You feel warm," She mused, laying a hand on his forehead. She brought her hand down and pressed the backs of her fingers to his cheek. "Do you have a fever?" She cupped his chin, studying his face momentarily.

Suddenly, her eyebrows rose in thought and her mouth formed a tight line. "Have you boys been roughhousing?" She spun around, looking to Kendall, Carlos, and Logan. They shook their heads wildly in denial.

"No! No. Um…It's, ah – jus'th the blankets—" James explained, in his shriek-y, fast-thinking manner. He fanned himself, sticking his tongue out, "I got a little hot…"

Mama Knight looked him up and down, skeptically. Then she reached out to touch his face again. "Your jaw looks a little swollen," She ran the length of his jaw line, pressing lightly with her fingertips. "We can fix that."

She pivoted, and walked towards the freezer, determinedly. She opened the little door, scooting items out of the way until she found what she was looking for. The door closed and she stood there smiling; big bag of frozen peas clutched in her hands. She brandished the frosty package over her head, proudly.

"Look what I've got!"

* * *

><p>The rest of the day actually wasn't so bad for James; even if he was unfairly grounded to the couch. He did have Mrs. Knight waiting on him hand and foot, and his friends had been there to keep him company, which always made him feel a little better.<p>

His three best buds had spent the whole afternoon resting with him; playing all their favorite video games, and listening to the latest House of Heroes and Pussycat Dolls albums. _Mmmm, Nicole Scherzinger. He was _still _**so**__ gonna marry her one day!_

Now it was darker outside and all the boys were chillin' together in the living room. They had changed into their PJ's, then piled on to the couch; watching iCarly.

Logan nearly choked on his diet soda, suddenly pointing at the TV screen. He started to say something but was completely drowned out by Carlos laughing his butt off when Sam and Carly shot blueberries out of their noses.

Logan sputtered, then tried again, "That dude looks just like James—" He looked to the others, jaw dropped. Kendall gave him a confused glance and focused back on the screen. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Holy crap!" He shouted, turning to James "It does-It looks just like you!" He pointed at the TV, slapping James on the knee to get his attention,"—Look!"

"What?" James asked, letting the limp bag of peas slide off his face as he sat up, following his friends' gaze.

"_Wow_, you did it-you're on TV, James!" Carlos exclaimed in amazement, sending Logan and Kendall into hysterics. James frowned at them with annoyed confusion.

"Oh my gosh. _That looks just like you_!" Kendall squeaked, "How- how can you_ not_ see that?"

"It does-it does-_look at it_!" Logan chuckled, desperately trying to catch his breath while Kendall rolled off the couch, holding onto his side. James sat forward and stared at the screen in concentration until he saw what they were talking about.

"_Him_? _That__ guy_?" He queried, glaring at his overly amused friends with total disbelief. "Ha! That guy look'ths nothing like me." He gave a quick move of the head, tossing his hair to the side. "You're all crazy." He looked down at Kendall in the floor, then slung the bag of peas back over his mouth and sunk into the soft, pillows; miffed by his friend's absurd comments.

_James Diamond_ was way cooler than some AV Club nerd on TV. How could they possibly compare him to _that_? No way. The two had nothing in common.

"Dude. You're on TV, _but you're __**here**_…and you didn't even know about it…" Carlos marveled. "This is just like that one episode of Witches of Rodeo Drive…freaky…"

"For the las'th time—that is _not_ me!" James declared, smacking Carlos with a pillow before he leaned back again, watching the show.

_"Hmmm…He IS kinda handsome, though…"_

* * *

><p>Finally, it was time for bed. They all told Mrs. Knight good night and filed down the hallway, groaning when she called after them, reminding them to brush their teeth. They finished and Kendall and Logan went into their room, while Carlos and James went to theirs.<p>

"It's too bad," Carlos mused, flopping onto his bed.

"Hmm? Whath's too bad?" James rolled over, sitting up on his elbow.

"That Logan put your teeth back in—you could have left those out for the tooth fairy!"

James chortled, lying back down. All this time he'd thought of his situation as nothing but a totally bad thing. Leave it to Carlos to find the bright side to something as horrible as getting three teeth knocked out. "Yeah, Carlos'th," He looked over at his pal, agreeing, "That'd be aweth'ome. Maybe if they would grow back." He shrugged. "But these are permanent. Permanent teeth don't come back."

Carlos puckered his lips, fastening his hockey helmet over his night cap. "Well, maybe we can find the other one." He replied cheerily, pulling the covers up around his body.

"Yeah. Maybe we will." James folded his hands over his stomach, smiling up at the ceiling.

"Night, James," Carlos yawned, rolling over towards the wall.

"Goodnight, Carlos'th," James answered, turning out the light. He kissed his lucky comb, tucked it away in the top drawer of his nightstand and then drew the sheets up to his chin, quickly drifting off to sleep.

As James slept, he dreamed. He dreamed about the iCarly show they had all watched together before bed. Only this time it was him, not that AV dork named Shane, who got the girls. Carly and Sam were at each other's throats, fighting over the one and only James Diamond! Oh yes, TWO girls vying for his attention—maybe he _was_ more like this Shane guy than he originally thought…

Nah. _He_ would have been man enough to handle dating both girls—_and_ stay away from broken elevator shafts.

* * *

><p><em>BEEP BEEP BEEP<em> _BEEP_ Logan groaned at the annoying sound and rolled over, smacking the alarm clock. It was time for school. He noticed Kendall stirring across the room as he pushed himself up slowly, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. His feet met the floor and he groaned, stretching both arms above his head. Kendall followed in similar manner, slowly arching his back as he stood. Then the two boys wandered out of their room to wake the others.

"Let James sleep." Logan yawned as they crossed the hall toward the adjacent room. "He has a doctor's excuse." Kendall gave him a drowsy nod, stepping toward the doorway of the other guys' bedroom, only to find James already standing there awake; a crazy, blissful expression plastering his tan face.

"Hey, Carlos—wake up, we have school," Kendall called hoarsely, before he and Logan did a double-take. "_James_…Are you okay?"

Just then they heard a crash and Carlos came stumbling out of the room, eyes still closed.

James ignored his room-mate's commotion and looked back at Kendall and Logan dreamily. He let out a contented sigh. "Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy called me a _handsome stallion_."

Logan drew back and gave him a weird look, then spun on his heel, quickly walking away to find breakfast. Kendall held his odd glance a second longer before also excusing himself from the awkwardness, walking down the hall after Logan. "What?" James followed them into the kitchenette; Carlos close behind him, staggering at his heels.

James sat down on one of the barstools as Carlos flopped down beside him, helmet cracking against the counter as he fell back into sleep. "Admit it," James gloated, addressing his more conscious friends. "When we broke onto the sh'et of her Chrith'mas speth'ial—Miranda was _totally_ checkin' me out!" James ran a hand through his hair, then did his signature finger wiggle. He didn't feel all depressed about his teeth anymore. That dream was just the ego boost he needed. Kendall shook his head, exchanging a look with Logan.

"Good morning, guys," Mrs. Knight smiled, entering the kitchen with Katie. She looked over at the bar, stunned. "James—I didn't expect to see you up and awake. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, acth'ually, I had this really intere'thing dream—" James began; snapping his mouth shut when Kendall and Logan moaned loudly. "Fine. I'll jus'th tell you after th'ool."

"Oh, you don't have to go to school today, James. Dr. Travis gave you an excuse, remember? Wouldn't you rather stay home and take it easy; you know, give your body some time to recoup after your little accident yesterday?" Mrs. Knight suggested, setting waffles down for Logan, Kendall, and Katie and a bowl of oatmeal in front of James. She poured a bowl of Cookie Crisp cereal out in front of Carlos, who jolted awake immediately and began munching away happily.

"_You're going to school_?" Katie shot James an appalled look as she spread butter over her plate of waffles. "I can't believe you! Here you have a perfectly valid excuse to _get out_ of school, and you're gonna waste it; you should totally stay home and milk it!"

James scooped up a spoon of the sticky oatmeal and let it splat back into the bowl. It would be kind of cool to have a day off. Nothing to do, nowhere to be, just chillin' by the pool with a frosty fruit smoothie and tons of hot girls all over him, giving him loads of sympathetic attention…

Oh, wait…all the girls would be at school. So would his friends. And he'd probably be confined to the couch—again. This time _alone_.

"Nah, I laid around all afternoon ye'therday. I think I'm good for th'ool." James nodded, jumping down from the barstool. He finished his milk and dumped his half-eaten oatmeal into the trash, then set the dishes in the sink, taking off behind the other guys to shower and get dressed for class.

"Well, okay then…" Mrs. Knight shrugged. "I'll pack you some lunch."

A half hour later, James, Carlos, Kendall, and Logan emerged clean and spiffy for the day ahead. They gathered their backpacks and books, heading in a line for the door as Mrs. Knight set their lunch sacks on the counter. James reached for his and she picked it up, pulling him aside.

"Are you _sure_ you want to go?" She asked once more; voice low.

"I'm th'ure." James smiled. "I feel fine, honest."

Her hand cupped the side of his face, thumb stroking his cheek, gently. "Okay," she consented, dropping her hand. "But if you start feeling bad, or need anything—you call me, okay?" She shook a finger at him before handing over his packed lunch.

"Okay." James agreed, taking the brown paper bag. "Thank'ths, Mama Knight."

"You're welcome," She patted him on the back before he joined the others waiting by the door. "Have a good day." She turned to the other boys, "Bye, guys; have a good day."

"You too,"

"See ya later, Mama K!" Carlos waved, running out the door with James.

"Bye, Mama Knight." Logan replied, tossing his pre-cal book under his arm.

Kendall reached out and gave her a little squeeze, "Bye Mom," he kissed her cheek before heading out the door, "love you,"

* * *

><p>Believe it or not, James was actually happy to get back to class that morning. School. Finally something normal. A little reading, a little writing, a lot of begging Logan to do his math homework—and life would be back on schedule in no time. He felt almost giddy as they crossed the lobby and walked down the hall past the main conference room toward the one-room Palm Woods School. Today, he was hopeful. It was a new day with nothing to worry about. These two weeks were going to fly by, and he'd have his teeth fixed and ready for those screaming girls. With his best buds by his side, nothing could go wrong; James Diamond was okay, and he was going to school.<p>

Worst mistake ever.

...

**Cliff! Oooh…what's going to happen? Stay tuned to find out! And as always…**_**please**_** review, review, review! If you never have before, here's an excellent time to start! **

***House of Heroes is actually one of **_**my**_** favorite bands; I just added that in for fun. But they are an actual group, and they're **_**really nice**_**. I've met them MULTIPLE times (their front man, Tim, always hugs me now!) and they put on a **_**heck**_** of a live show. Check 'em out sometime if they're in your neighborhood. Tell 'em Emmaleigh said "Hi!" :)**


	9. Chapter 9: School

**A/N: Big Time Strike was really funny. Or maybe that was just the chocolate talking :P Last night was my dad's birthday and we ate so much ice cream I actually got a stomachache-ouch!...which has nothing to do with this chapter…but…I actually got quite a few e-mails from you guys asking what was going to happen to James. Do you really want to know? Do ya? **_**Do ya**_**? Well then read on mis amigos! **

**Disclaimer:**** NOT MINE!**

Face Value

Chapter 9: School

"Class, settle down; I need to talk to you about something serious," Ms. Collins tapped her ruler against the desk, promptly soliciting the attention of her multi-aged student body. She walked around the front of her desk, smoothing her skirt and looked up with a solemn expression. "Now, some of you may already know that James had a _horrible _hockey accident yesterday after school," several in the class gasped as she began in her sweet, teacher-y voice.

"And I know how distracting it can be when someone doesn't look the same, but we need to remember to be polite and try not to stare at James. Or point. Or laugh. Or call him names…"

James lowered his head. Kendall, Carlos and Logan looked at each other warily, frowning at Ms. Collins' elementary school lingo. "Mrs. Knight told me that he has a lot of teeth knocked out—it's probably not going to be very pretty looking," She affirmed, flipping her soft curls over the shoulder of her purple blouse. James turned beet red, hiding behind his notebook. _She doesn't know I'm right here?_

_"No, no, no, no, no…" _Logan mouthed, scrunching up his eyebrows; he shook his head frantically, trying to catch the teacher's attention as she continued, full of pity.

"And we know James is probably going to be feeling a little sad about his teeth," Kendall and Carlos tried to wave her down, to no avail. "So I want all of you to be _extra_ nice to him when he gets here."

Logan cleared his throat loudly, making a slashing motion across his neck, as he pointed to James. However, the petite blonde didn't seem to notice. She prattled on oblivious, and James slid further and further down in his desk, growing more embarrassed with her every 'well intending' word.

_Great. _One of the few times he _**did not**_ want to be in the spotlight, his teacher was making a charity case out of him; and try as he might, he just couldn't hide his tall frame behind shrimpy Logan. No matter how hard he willed it.

To make things worse, unlike their teacher, several of his classmates _had_ taken notice of his presence. Their hushed whispers and quick glances were hard to ignore; punctuated by the occasional giggle. James squeezed his eyes shut, imagining himself shrinking.

Yeah—_that's exactly what he'd do_—shrink down to the size of a peanut, shimmy down the chair leg, and run away; hopefully making it out the door and into the hallway before someone's Nike shocks got the chance to squish him.

"…Just think about how you would feel if you got all of your teeth knocked out. It wouldn't be too fun, now would it? No. That's why we're going to be polite and careful of James' feelings, because that's how we treat our friends—Oh, Hey, James! Nice to see you today," Ms. Collins smiled brightly, suddenly waving to him.

James' escapist daydream was interrupted as the class erupted in laughter. Ms. Collins walked over to the chalkboard to begin her lessons, none the wiser.

"_Heeeyy, Jaaamesss_!" Aaron, a kid in the athletic wear business jeered, tipping forward in his seat, "Is you _sad_ abowt your tweeth?" He whispered in a baby-talk; then balled up his hands, rubbing at his eyes while he pretended to cry. He frowned exaggeratedly, pointing at James' mouth and sneered gruffly, "Let's see how bad you're screwed up,"

"Yeah," One of the 'gangsta' wannabe's chimed in, "Smile for us, pretty boy!"

The Jennifers stared at him a few rows over, their critical eyes emanating revulsion.

Another teen leaned over, laughing, "Did the tooth fairy leave anything under your pillow?"

James turned around in his seat and tried to block them out. He sat perfectly still for the duration of the lesson; staring straight ahead at the board, ignoring every poke and shoulder tap, every snide whisper in his direction.

Only three hours until lunch.

* * *

><p>Lunch came near the end of the short, four-hour Palm Woods' school day. After morning studies, the class would break for a thirty minute lunch before their final lesson. The all-ages school for the future famous was a one-room deal, located on the first floor of the Palm Woods Hotel, so there was no cafeteria. Everyone ate their packed—or ordered in—lunches right there in the classroom.<p>

James could never be more thankful for the break as he dragged his desk around to face the other guys. They ate lunch like this everyday, pulling their desks together into a loose circle.

"So, what do you think Gustavo will have us doing today?" Kendall asked, taking a huge mouthful of his chocolate pudding first; ignoring the ham and cheese sandwich his mom had packed.

Logan folded his napkin, draping it across his lap meticulously, "Harmonies." He stated, before reaching into his bag for an apple. "For three to five million hours." He buffed the Granny Smith on his cardigan and took a big bite.

"Maybe we'll learn some rockin' new dance moves," Carlos exclaimed, then crossed his arms over his face, "X-ceptional!" he shouted, a golden brown corndog in each fist.

James smiled widely; finally able to forget about that morning's humiliation as he laughed along with his pals, enjoying Carlos's enthusiasm. That bit of peace, however, proved to be short-lived. As soon as someone noticed the fruit purée Mrs. Knight had packed for him, it all started again.

"Hey, Diamond-need a bib for that baby food?" Ozzy grunted, bringing a few chuckles. There was no need to be discreet with the teasing now. Ms. Collins had left her boxed salad on the desk and walked down the hall to buy a diet soda from the vending machine.

"I guess he's not the pretty one anymore, that's a shame." Kendall whirled around in his desk, turning to face the owner of the voice. Jett Stetson. His old girlfriend, Jo's, former co-star and his very own arch-nemesis. The preppy, bottle-blonde _tsked_, looking down his nose at BTR condescendingly.

"Say another word about James and just see what happens," Kendall's blood was beginning to boil. "That goes for _everybody_!" He shouted, threat flashing in his green eyes as he scanned the classroom.

"Okay, I won't say anything else." Jett announced. "I'll just ask a simple favor," He pushed past Kendall and laid a hand on James' shoulder, bending down toward his face. He smiled pleasantly, "Could you please go eat somewhere else; your ugliness is making everyone sick_._"

The words barely left Jett's lips before Kendall swung at him, sending him flying across James' desk, food spilling everywhere. James rolled out of the way, dodging the overturned mess as Carlos jumped straight into the fray to aid Kendall. Logan's eyes bugged out, watching the boys slam Jett into the floor. Then he shrugged, tossing the apple over his shoulder, and launched into the grapple with them.

…

**Oh boy…leave it to the guys to get into a fight right in the middle of school…**

**Sorry it's a bit short, next chapter will be longer-I promise! :D**

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	10. Chapter 10: Back To The Studio

**A/N: ****Oh ****good ****gosh****…****so ****we****'****ve ****gone ****past ****the ****50 ****review ****mark? **_**I.**__**Can**__**'**__**t.**__**Believe.**__**It. **_**Dang****…****Idk ****what ****to ****say ****except**** "****Thank ****you"****. ****And ****I ****can****'****t ****say ****that ****enough-You ****guys ****have ****no ****idea ****how ****grateful ****I ****am ****for ****all ****of ****you, ****each ****and ****every****one!**

**^-^ ****All ****sappiness ****aside, ****let ****us ****continue ****with ****the ****story!**

**Disclaimer: ****I ****don****'****t ****own ****Big ****Time ****Rush ****and ****I ****hate ****disclaimers.**

Face Value

Chapter 10: Back To The Studio

"I'm ready to go back to the Th'ool of Rocque…" James muttered, trudging down the sidewalk alongside his disheveled buds. Their little disagreement with Jett had cost them their ride with Kelly; and now they had to walk to the studio.

"Who cares if we had to stay after and clean up? They shouldn't have been so mean to you." Logan replied, pulling part of a baby carrot out of his ear.

"A week's detention is worth it." Carlos nodded. "And you have to admit, that was pretty funny when Kendall threatened to rip out Jett's teeth and give them to you,"

"Yeah," James exclaimed, "but now everybody hates me, becaus'th Mi'fth Collins made us watch that sth'upid video about bullying." He frowned, remembering the reproving glares of his classmates as Ms. Collins popped in the dusty, out-dated VHS tape and went into her repetitive, kindergarten-style spiel on 'name calling' and 'hurt feelings'.

"_We_ don't hate you," Kendall declared, wrapping an arm around James' shoulder as the Rocque Records sign came into view. "Things will be better at practice. We have shows to look forward to, a hot new single, and just think of all the girls that will be screaming _your_ name when we go back on tour this summer."

"I hope you're right." James mused.

"Of course I am," Kendall quipped, pulling open the glass door. "Now, c'mon, let's not keep Gustavo waiting!"

They all ran inside, following Kendall when James suddenly noticed a girl approaching from the sidewalk and doubled back to get the door for her.

She was a beautiful girl, with delicate pink lips and soft auburn hair that flowed past her dainty shoulders. All dolled up in a pretty little floral frock and velvet boots. Stunning. Exactly James' type.

He gave her his most dazzling smile, holding the door open as she walked inside. He'd hoped she'd glance up at him with a quick 'thank-you', giving him the perfect opportunity to ask for her number. But his confidence in the art of wooing just wasn't going to be enough today.

Instead, her lovely eyes fell on his face only a moment before she scurried past him, without even the courtesy of a returned smile. James' shoulders slumped when she stopped a short distance away and stared back at him over her shoulder, disgust clear in those gorgeous, hazel-green eyes.

"Hey, James, ya comin'?" Kendall called, drawing him out of his sad reverie.

"Yeah," James answered slowly, turning back around. "Right behind ya," he dug his hands into his jean pockets, stalking off to catch up with the other guys.

* * *

><p>An unfamiliar melody filled the hall, growing louder as they came closer to the studio entrance. They entered the studio and Gustavo immediately stopped playing.<p>

"You're five minutes late," He began, getting up from the piano bench. He peered through his yellow sunglasses, taking in his _dogs_' messy appearance. He ogled at Carlos and Kendall, who'd initiated, and in turn, taken the worst of the fight. "What happened to _you_?" he asked, pointing at the rips and tears on their food-stained clothing.

"Well, we—"

"—Never mind," Gustavo put his hand up, halting Kendall before he could explain, "I don't care." Kendall snapped his mouth shut as Gustavo plodded away yelling for his assistant. "Kelly! Where's my coffee?"

* * *

><p>"Cool song,"<p>

"Awesome,"

"Love it,"

"Perfect,"

Kendall, Carlos, Logan, and James commented. Gustavo spun around on the piano bench, blatantly proud of the new demo he'd written for BTR.

"Yes. _I__'__m__amazing_." He heralded, rising up. He grabbed a stack of papers from the piano top, handing a packet to each boy. "Alright dogs, sound booth –_Except_ James."

"Wait, why not James?" Carlos asked worriedly, halting at the door.

"I have something more important for him to do; besides, we're just trying on the song today, we're not recording anything." The other three nodded, still confused as they stepped into the sound booth, watching James walk back over to Gustavo and Kelly. Gustavo took him by the elbow, pulling him aside.

"Can I talk to you in my office for a minute, James?" He asked softly. James looked at him warily. Gustavo **not **yelling was very creepy to him. He backed away a little bit, feeling his skin crawl.

"Yeah, okay…" He gave a puzzled look, following the producer and assistant out of the studio.

Kelly pulled out a chair for him as they entered Gustavo's office.

"Would you like some coffee, James?" Gustavo offered jovially.

James sat down, leaning back in his seat, slowly.

"Um, no…no thank'th you…" He licked his lips, nervously, "but I would like to know, whath's going on?" the request came out like a question, unsure. Kelly closed the office door.

"Look," Gustavo began, finally cutting to the chase, "I just wanna…_help_…you. I know it's hard for you, so I'm not gonna make you sing today." James' ears burned and he looked down at the floor.

_**Dang **__**it. **__Now __even __GUSTAVO __feels __sorry __for __me!_

"Mr. X is here, Kelly's gonna take you down to studio B so you can get a head start on the dance moves. Alright?"

James sat still for a moment, not sure what to do, until Kelly opened the door, gesturing for him to lead the way.

"Alright." He answered, barely audible, as he rose from his chair; still feeling flushed.

"James," Gustavo called. James grabbed the door frame, turning around. "This_is_ just temporary." The producer assured him, removing his bug-eyed sunglasses and setting them on the desk. "Keep that lyric sheet handy. Learn the words. Be ready to sing as soon as possible."

James smiled dejectedly, nodding his understanding; then accompanied Kelly, exiting into the hall toward studio B.

* * *

><p>"X-cellent!" Mr. X praised James' efforts before flourishing towards the studio door. "You may X go now!"<p>

James grinned. It was amazing just how much he'd been able to accomplish within the past 90 minutes with only him and Mr. X in the studio. Two and a half sessions' worth, to be exact; and he was _so __proud_. Still, he was ready to get back to his buds. The one-on-one dance time, no matter how progressive, was also a little lonely. He'd actually found himself missing Logan's accidental face slaps—Kelly had even laughed at him, staying a couple minutes extra to watch him flinch out of reflex on the first few run-throughs before she excused herself to finish up on some paperwork.

Now, it was time to meet the rest of the guys and head home. James strutted down the long, carpeted hallway; posters of 'boy bands past' flanking him on each side. As he rounded the corner toward studio A, he could begin to make out the music.

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan were finishing up with Gustavo. The new song was shaping up nicely. James paused just outside the door, listening as their voices rang out clear and strong; the warm tones swelling into a brilliant harmony.

His friends sounded pretty good. _Actually_, really good.

—_**Without **_**him**—

* * *

><p><strong>:'( <strong>

**Intentional ****or ****not, **_**man **_**does ****it ****hurt ****to ****be ****left ****out!**

…**We****'****re ****about ****to ****start ****edging ****towards ****a ****little ****more ****angst ****here, ****dear ****people****…**

**Review? ****I****'****ll ****love ****you ****for ****it ****:****)**


	11. Chapter 11: Reassurances

**A/N: ****Long ****chapter ****ahead****…****have ****fun!**

**Ooh, by the way—**

**WARNING(s): ****This ****one ****gets ****a ****tiny ****bit ****graphic ****in ****a ****short ****scene ****about ****¾ ****through. ****Depending ****on ****how ****sensitive/squeamish ****you ****are, ****you ****may ****want ****to ****proceed ****with ****caution. ****It ****may ****not ****be ****all ****that **_**bad**_**, ****but ****it****'****s ****really ****hard ****for ****me ****to ****judge ****objectively ****after ****the ****desensitization ****of ****writing ****multiple ****takes ****:P ****So, ****just ****a ****little ****heads-up ****;)**

…**moving ****on!**

**Disclaimer: ****I****'****m ****not ****making ****a ****profit ****by ****writing ****this ****story.**

Face Value

Chapter 11: Reassurances

James peered up through his bangs, scowling at Carlos who leaned across the table, inches from his face, fish sticks crammed into his nasal cavities.

"Oh, cheer up, James!" Kendall wheedled. "You've been bummed ever since we left the studio. What gives?"

James ignored him, focused on the spoon in his fingers as he whisked it back and forth, rippling his uneaten bowl of tomato soup.

Logan took another bite of macaroni, then raised his fork into the air, swallowing before he spoke.

"So what if Gustavo's not letting you sing right now," He pointed the fork at James, before spearing more of the curved noodles, "you're gonna be kicking our butts at the new dance moves."

James dropped the spoon, letting it clatter into the bowl. Logan had no idea. None of the guys did. Sure, _they_ could be blasé. No one had made fun of them today, or treated them like a freak, or stolen _their_ dreams right out from under them. And they hadn't heard their own best friends, the ones who swore they never wanted fame in the first place, heartlessly succeeding at those life-long dreams _without_ them.

"The only thing anybody i'th going to be _kicking_ i'th _**ME**_—outta the band—Becau'th obviou'thly_, __YOU _DON'T _NEED __ME_!" James pushed away from the table, while the other three stared back at him, totally thrown by his sudden, livid outburst.

James' tense stance became lax then, his anger diminished to a more forlorn state just as quickly as it had come. His arms dropped to his sides as he turned away from the other three; then sulked over to the living room area, sinking into the couch. The rest of the boys leapt up from the table and followed, forgetting about their dinner.

James stared ahead with blank eyes, his chin in his hands. "I'm no good anymore." He stated, flatly, mumbling against his palm. "I mean, look at me," he jerked a finger towards his mouth, pointing at his twisted, achy teeth. "I can't th'ing—" He began, only to cut himself off, clamping his lips together in frustration. He shook his head sourly, and coughed out a bitter little laugh, "_Th__'__ee_? I can't even _talk_ right." He huffed, gazing down at the floor. "…I'm ju'th holding you guy'th back,"

"James, c'mon. You are not holding us back." Kendall asserted, sitting down beside him on the orange sectional. Carlos and Logan both sat too, silent behind their anxious expressions as Kendall continued.

"We would have never made it to Hollywood without you. _This __is __your __dream, __James._" Kendall replied. He clapped James on the knee, "You're the reason Big Time Rush even exists."

Logan and Carlos nodded, agreeing with their leader's reassuring words. James' lips tightened again and he closed his eyes; squeezing them shut a moment before looking back up desolately at Kendall.

"_No_." James countered, voice soft. Hazel eyes pierced green. "The only reason we made it here is becau'th they wanted _**you**__._"

Kendall stared back at James mutely, the hurt in his friend's eyes draining him of all possible words. And James continued.

"Which is exactly why they'll have no problem repla'thing me." James crossed his arms, breaking free from Kendall's distressed stare to fall back into the couch. "It's just a matter of _when_ and _who_." He sighed, and picked up one of Katie's magazine's from the coffee table, flipping through the glossy pages. "Take any one of the'th dime-a dozen, pop-star, teen idols…" James sniffed, laughing sadly, "Ha. Ju'thin Bieber, maybe." He pulled out the centerfold; thumped the picture with his knuckles, "That'd work."

"Ooh! Dak Zevon!" Katie squealed suddenly, popping up behind the couch with the latest issue of Pop Tiger. "They should pick Dak Zevon—he is SOOO h—"

"—_KATIE!__" _Kendall, Logan, and Carlos shouted.

"…_not_ as cool as you, James." She quickly amended. "Um, _I __love __you_?"

"No." James mused. "You're right, Katie. Dak Zevon _should_ replace me…After all, he's _almos__'__th_ as good looking as I…_**was**__**'**__**th**_…wahhhhhhhh!" He squeaked then threw his head back; crying dramatically.

Carlos reached over immediately, wrapping his arms around his best bud. He pulled James' head into his shoulder, patting the boy's hair comfortingly.

Kendall and Logan shot Katie a look. She stared at James stunned; seemingly frozen in place where she stood, unconsciously dog-earring the magazine in her small hands.

Kendall scooted back around, "No one is going to replace you, James." He laid his hand on James' shoulder, trying to soothe his friend who was sniveling into Carlos' soft, purple polo. "You're the only teen heartthrob this band needs. They'd be idiots to replace you. How else are we gonna do the new song, huh?—Nobody can do vocal runs like you. _Especially __not_ Justin Bieber."

"Plus, we still have five whole weeks until the tour," Logan added. "You'll have your teeth fully repaired in two, then have three more left. Plenty of time to master the new tracks."

"And you've already got the dance moves down," Kendall encouraged, giving his bud a friendly shake. "You've got nothing to worry about here, James!"

"Yeah," Carlos shrugged, releasing James so he could sit up. "You got the song on mp3 and the lyric sheet. You practically know everything already!"

James looked thoughtful, straightening up. "I guess you guy'th are right." He admitted, rubbing at his nose. "Thank'th."

Katie broke free from her stupor, walking over as the lanky teen dried his eyes and stood up. "I'm sorry, James. I didn't mean to upset you." She hugged his middle and he laughed, bending down to embrace her.

"Aw, that's okay, Katie." He shook his head, smiling slightly. "It's not _your_ fault." James patted the little girl's back gently, giving her a little squeeze before releasing her. He flopped back down, sighing heavily then. "It's ju'th been a bad day."

"At least it wasn't a-_bad __HAIR __day_!" Carlos jumped on him, roughing up his perfect mane.

"AH! My HAIR!" James shrieked, slapping at Carlos before the Latino grabbed his trusty helmet and ran off, "Carlos'th! You get back here!" He leapt off the couch, starting after him when his chest slammed into Kendall's open palm.

"_Okay_…" Kendall stepped in, diverting James before he could maul Carlos. "I have a better idea. Let's go out for smoothies. That should make us all feel better." He lowered his arm from James' chest and quickly slipped it around his shoulders; still holding him back, but in a more friendly-looking way.

Logan shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He looked to the guys and Katie.

"_Smoothies_!" Carlos shouted, sliding down from the safety of the balcony.

"Yeah?" Kendall looked to James as he relaxed, nodding agreement. "Awesome, let's go."

They headed toward the door but James fell behind. Logan turned back, hand on the doorknob, "You coming, James?"

James whipped his lucky comb out of his back pocket. "Yeah," he called, running up to the full-length mirror by the yellow swirly slide. "You guy'th go ahead; I'll be there in a th'econd."

Logan rolled his eyes, laughing to himself. _Of __course, __James. __You_ would _have __to __fix __your __hair __for __something __as __trite __as __smoothies!_ "Okay," he answered, stepping into the hallway, "But if you take too long, we're giving yours to Carlos."

* * *

><p>James pulled the comb through his hair, working around his head. He smiled at his handsome reflection; grooming <em>always <em>made him feel awesome. But the smile quickly faded when his lips spread wide, revealing the tangled mess underneath. He lowered his comb; turning away as the days' sadness came crashing back down on him.

The rude comments and mean jokes from people that morning at school, the girl at the studio…_that __look __on __her __face_. Rejection stung _so __bad_. And then not being able to sing with the other guys—

He felt completely and utterly worthless.

"James," His head snapped up, looking around at the sudden sound of his name, but no one was in the apartment. "Behind you," He whirled around, and seeing nothing but himself standing in the mirror; turned right back around, hurriedly averting his eyes from the 'ugly' reflection. The voice let out a very masculine, annoyed sigh, "Oh, would you stop moping and come talk to me already?"

Okay, that voice was starting to sound very familiar now…his gaze drifted back to the mirror. "There ya go, buddy." It coaxed, "Now look up at me."

James obeyed, pivoting around to face the glass.

"Finally. Thank you." James' mirror alter-ego replied. James stared momentarily, about to answer with a 'Your welcome' when realization struck him and he toppled backwards, totally stunned. He jumped up from the base of the swirly slide where he had landed, frantically pointing at the boy in the mirror.

"What? Huh? Hey—WHOA!" He pressed his hands against the surface of the mirror, looking back and forth from it to himself in stunned wonderment. He patted his hands across his body and his head jerked back to the mirror. "How are you—me—I—us…_you__'__re __me_, how are you speaking so clearly? How am I—?—WAIT!" He gasped, "I can talk again!"

"We can sing too," James' deeper-voiced counterpart announced; adlibbing a little Smoky Robinson to demonstrate.

"_How_?" James exclaimed. He leaned into the mirror, hands on either side of the wall as he ogled at his unbelievably attractive, singing reflection.

"Don't you remember?" James asked himself, "You went to that 22 minute dentist Carlos uses all the time. Fixed everything right up. We look good too." His reflection smirked. "Go on—Take a look!"

James focused on the mirror, slowly bearing his teeth as he hazarded a glance. His lips peeled into a smile the second he did, and he stared back at two rows of perfect, pearly white teeth. No wires, no holes, no gaps. Just one glorious, beautiful, lady-killing smile!

His hands went up to his lips as he stepped back in astonishment. _No. __Freakin__'__. __Way! __And __they __told __me __I __needed __oral __surgery__…__No __way! _He clacked his shiny teeth together, testing them, then stepped back up to the mirror for one more glance.

His eyes wandered over his restored image, taking in every inch of his exquisite face with sheer amazement. Joy swelled up inside of him until smiling was unavoidable.

"YES!" He laughed, spinning and posing; dancing and vogue-ing, for he didn't know how long. His friends and their smoothies were far from his mind at this point. He had his teeth back! Oh, he could have just _made __out_ with that mirror!—he smiled wider and wider, marveling at the pretty sight…until he felt a sudden crack, then came the deafening explosion…

And all at once, his perfect teeth shattered in his mouth; parts of them spilling out all over the carpet like a thousand tiny shards of broken glass. They pricked at his lips, needle-thin and sharp as razors; crunching, and digging into the bare gums until they brought blood. The rusty taste spread across his tongue, seeping out between his lips; while the free flowing crimson quickly began clotting with his ground up dental remains, filling his mouth with the sickening, viscous paste.

James' throat bubbled and he gagged and scrambled towards the door, falling hard on the metal handle and into the Palm Woods hallway, desperately trying to scream out for help, only to end up choking;—suffocating on a mouthful of chunky red sludge and the chalky, white powder residue that had _once_ been his glorious smile.

* * *

><p>"James! James!" Carlos shouted, "What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" The outline of his helmet shimmered in the pallor of moonlight, his wide, worried eyes gleaming in the dark, inches from James' face.<p>

Light flooded the room and Logan stood there panting; hand on the light switch, Kendall beside him, his blonde hair tousled and sticking out all over his head. He rubbed his eyes, squinting from the sudden brightness.

As soon as they focused, their eyes shot directly to Carlos and James. James was upright in his bed, his whole body trembling violently, chest heaving with his ragged breaths. He clawed at his mouth, his wet eyes staring past them wild and unfocused; seemingly oblivious to Carlos who was right in front of his face, bent over him in panic.

"I don't know what's wrong with him!" The Latino cried, squeezing his helmet as Logan and Kendall sprinted over to the bed. The same instant Mrs. Knight came rushing down the hall, her house coat barely tied on.

"What's going on?" She demanded breathlessly, terror in her eyes as she bustled into the bedroom. Years of child-rearing experience let her understand exactly what had happened. She sped over to James immediately, gathering him up. Carlos and the other boys moved back, out of her way.

"Shhh…" Her soft hand cupped the back of James' neck, knotting her fingers in his hair as she held him. "Shhh…It was just a dream, just a dream, not real," she whispered, smoothing his hair, rubbing it down his sticky neck. "You're okay, James. It's okay…" She rocked him, gently. Moisture chilled her arms, soaking through the thin cotton of his t-shirt. She drew back and looked the shaken boy over, "Here, baby," She reached up, gently grasping his wrists, "you're going to chew your fingers off," she pulled his hands away from his mouth, slowly getting up. She patted the bed, indicating for the other boys to come closer and take over for a second. "I'll be right back," She replied softly, lilting past them through door.

"Take a deep breath, James. Try to slow down, you're gonna hyperventilate."

James could barely hear Logan over the pounding in his ears. His heart drummed in his chest, hammering painfully against his ribcage, a rapid-tempo cadence. His breaths came in quick, shallow puffs. Voices coached him again, and James tried his best to obey them, fighting through the fog of his dizzy, frenzied state.

He forced his lungs to fill, gasping in deep like a diver who had just broken the surface after being trapped under water; his burning eyes roaming the room. He could hear movement beside him as he began to make out the roomful of people surrounding him, their faces alert, their eyes laden with fright and concern.

Kendall rose from his crouch by the bed, releasing his gentle grip on James' tensing forearm as Mrs. Knight returned, washcloth in hand.

"What's wrong?" A drowsy Katie leaned against the doorframe, peering at James through sleepy eyes as her mom sat down on the bed beside him, wiping at the salty rivulets racing down her entrusted 'son's' damp cheeks.

"Nothing, Baby." She called over her shoulder. "Go back to bed, Katie."

Logan leaned against the wall, attentively watching Mama Knight take care of James. Kendall squatted on the edge of Carlos' bed. They were relieved to see James had relaxed slightly, slowly un-balling his fists and releasing the sheets from his white-knuckle grip. He gasped in and out steadily, putting forth a strenuous effort to calm himself down.

"Shhh…there you go, it's alright, James." Mama Knight rubbed the cold, beaded sweat from his brow, blotting the soothing cloth against his throat. "Poor thing, you're drenched." She mused, dabbing at the exposed part of his chest, just above his shirt collar. She lifted the moist fabric at his shoulders, frowning as it immediately slunk back, clinging to his skin. "We've got to get you out of this," Her weight shifted to move but Carlos was already digging through the dresser. She smiled despite her own tiredness, thanking him as he bounded back over with one of James' undershirts.

"Alrighty, Carlos brought you another shirt, James." She cooed sweetly, turning back to the boy who seemed to be in a calmer, yet still dream-like state. She held out her hands, "Trade?" She asked, pointing at his sweat-soaked tee.

James gazed up at her dazedly, trying to focus his tired, hazel eyes, and nodded. He grabbed the narrow hem at his waist, peeling the damp, gray cloth away from his clammy skin as he pulled the shirt off over his head. He took the fresh one from Mrs. Knight, tugging it on. He slid his arms and head through the soft cotton, taking in its subtle scent as his breathing finally steadied, his pulse gradually calmed. The clean, dry shirt felt divine, warm against his chest; and James found himself suddenly exhausted.

"There, that's better." Mama Knight straightened his t-shirt, smoothing it down, and checking him over once more. James' eyes blinked heavily, his cheeks were drained of their typically pink tinge; the teen looked ready to drop at any moment. She took his broad shoulders and eased him back down onto the bed before his head could loll into his lap. She pulled the covers over him, carding her fingers through his damp bangs, thankful as he finally settled and became peaceful. "Go back to sleep, rest James." She said quietly, placing a light kiss on his cheek. She picked up the sweaty shirt and walked to the door where Katie had slumped, scooping her daughter up before pushing the zombie-fied little girl down the hallway towards the hamper.

James felt his whole body uncoil, going limp and numb, sinking into the mattress as he listened to Mama Knight and Katie's footsteps retreating down the hall; the last sound he would remember hearing before slumber overcame him. He never knew just when or if the other guys had gone back to bed, or who exactly had turned the lights out.

* * *

><p><strong>You gonna be okay, Chanson? LOL…Please don't kill me!<strong>

**Whooo! How many of ya'll did I get? Tell the truth now-**

**I ****was ****gonna ****do ****a ****cliffhanger ****at ****James****' ****nightmare, ****but ****I ****figured ****that ****would ****have ****been ****too ****mean****…**_**So**_**…****have ****I ****earned ****a ****review?**** —****Please? **

**They ****are****, after all, ****the ****hand-mirror ****to ****my ****lucky ****comb! ****:)**


	12. Chapter 12: The Morning After

**A/N: WOW. Thank you so much, everybody who read and gave such great feedback! The last chapter got like, 7 reviews, I think! :D Hey, don't laugh… I'm new here, people!— and this story has passed 60 reviews overall?—that is just an insanely high sounding number to me. I mean, I'm the rookie fanfic writer here, and that so many of you awesome, veteran writers and busy readers would take the time… gosharooney, that just blows my mind.**

**Disclaimer: What? BTR _isn__'__t_ mine? **

Face Value

Chapter 12: The Morning After

When morning came, it felt like eons had passed. The horrendous night before now seemed like only a distant dream. James thought to himself maybe it had been just that, as the first few rays of yellow, California sunlight filtered through the window blinds; casting wide, sunny stripes across his rumpled comforter.

He rolled over toward the nightstand, blinking at the green glowing numbers on the digital clock.

6:51AM—and no one had woken him up _yet_?

He kicked off the covers and threw his legs over the side of the bed, looking to Carlos' side of the room. His roommate's dinosaur sheets were in a tangled mess, but there was no Carlos to be found.

_Am __I __the __last __one __up?..._

_How __could __they __forget __to __wake __me __up?_

Hair. That's the only thing James could think of. He wasn't going to have time to fix his hair. Why? Because nobody—not Mama Knight, not Katie, not _any_ of his _stupid __friends_—had bothered to wake him up on time!

Incensed anger—blind, raging panic shot through him like a current, only to dissipate a half second later.

When he realized the quiet.

By this time, any typical weekday, the apartment would be all a-buzz; pans and dishes clattering in the kitchen, the morning news report droning in the background, the dull roar of the shower, impatient fists banging on the bathroom door…

_How _long _did __I __sleep? __Is __anyone __else __even __here?_

James sat on the edge of his bed, listening for any sound of life in the other rooms of the apartment. He let his feet dangle just above the floor, toes grazing the cool laminate below them and he held his breath, focusing his ears.

Finally, he could make out the hum of faint voices in the kitchen. Yes, they were still here. He rose from the warmth of his sheets, and let his bare feet press flat against the chilly wood grain, cautiously walking towards the hushed sound.

_What __the __heck __is __going __on?_

The conversation seemed to quiet even more as he crept down the hall, but as he approached, the shift in tone was unmistakable.

Five pairs of eyes fell on him as he stepped into the great room. The second they met his, James turned red; breaking contact. He quickly ducked his head, striding over to the long table to take the last empty seat.

His surrogate family smiled cheerily then and carried on with their breakfast, as if nothing were wrong. He knew they were just trying to be helpful, but the overt niceties were far worse than any blatant comment they could have possibly made. Even Carlos seemed to hold his tongue this morning.

James sat by Katie, pushing around the bowl of oatmeal Mrs. Knight dropped in front of him. Third day this week. Logan got up from the table and set his dishes in the sink, looking over at him.

"Shower's open if you want first," The first real words anyone had spoken since he'd walked into the room. It was a huge sacrifice. James could take _forever_ getting ready.

James prodded at the oatmeal, barely looking up at Logan. "No thank'ths. You can go fir'th." He answered monotonously.

"Aren't you excited, James?" Carlos crunched, bursting to talk now that Logan had broken the metaphoric ice. "It's the last day of school before the weekend!"

_School._

Now that Carlos had brought it up, James wasn't so sure. How could he possibly bear it? The events of the day before flashed across his mind: All the hateful jeers, the cutting glances, the laughter…_the __fight__— _

The mere thought of going back to school now caused his breath to hitch in panic and his insides to clench up in knots. He dropped the spoon, shoving the sticky oatmeal away.

Kendall nodded toward the untouched bowl, "Aren't you gonna eat? You'll get hungry at school."

"_No_—" James clipped. He leaned forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around his middle, and Kendall knitted his brow, staring at him curiously. "I-I don't think I'm gonna go today." James grimaced uneasily. He ran a hand across his abdomen, rubbing his belly a moment, then conceded weakly,

"…My th'omach's upset-"

"You're probably still tired; you didn't get much rest last night." Mrs. Knight deduced, jogging over to feel his forehead. "Why don't you go lay down on the couch, I'll bring you some ginger ale."

James slunk over to the couch as the rest of the boys went to get ready. A few minutes later they had showered and dressed, then came back into the living room to gather their things.

"Feel better, James" Kendall scooped up his backpack, waving as he and Carlos left the apartment.

Logan turned back, before following them out. "I'll get your homework for you," he replied, gently closing the door behind him.

Then Mrs. Knight skipped through, toting a jacket and her daughter's little pink backpack. She looked over at James as she slid the jacket on the girl.

"I'm gonna walk Katie down now," She explained, "You sip on that, and I'll be right back. I have my cell phone if you need me."

James took another cautious sip of the fizzy ginger ale, before setting the cup down on the glass coffee table. He nodded at Mrs. Knight, slowly lying back down. Katie walked over to the orange sofa, giving a quick hug to her sometimes over-protective 'brother', and strapped on her backpack. James tried to smile at her as she and Mrs. Knight walked out the door.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Mrs. Knight stood ironing in the kitchen. James had been fine. He'd even eaten a little cup of chicken n' stars for her. Obviously, he wasn't that sick; but still, the way he'd moped around all morning worried her. Her motherly instinct told her something else was bothering him. Not just a stomachache or touchy teeth. But something. She just wasn't sure what.<p>

She wished he would open up, so she could help him. But she knew that sort of thing was particularly hard for James. He wasn't used to it. The constant shuffle between two parents who hate each other could do that to a child. Not that the Diamonds were necessarily horrible parents, they were just preoccupied. With work, their reputations, making a life. Thank God James had such close friends in Kendall, Carlos, and Logan growing up. The other boys' parents were nothing short of a Godsend too, the Garcias and the Mitchells were always willing to step in and help, whenever needed; whatever was needed.

She wondered if something had happened at school yesterday. He'd left so positive that morning, but then _this_ morning he'd acted so queasy at the mere mention of it. And then **_what __in __the __world_** had he _dreamed_ last night? Carlos might have his concerns about the boogey man, but James had never been one prone to nightmares. She couldn't recall ever seeing the boy so…_petrified_. Still, as much as it killed her, she decided not to pry. James would tell her if he needed to.

Right now, there was the ironing to tend to. A few more quick passes and the remaining pieces were stacked into the basket, pressed to perfection and ready for re-distribution.

Little puffs of steam hissed out of the iron as she set the device upright, unplugging it to cool on the collapsible board. Then she scooped up her finished work, glowing with a satisfied smile, and swiveled out of the kitchen.

"Look what I have, James," she sing-songed, waltzing into the living room, laundry basket on her hip. The soft scent of detergent and fabric softener met James' nose as she set the white plastic basket on the coffee table, pulling out a familiar piece of clothing. She held the white t-shirt up, dangling it in front of him while he stayed in his slumped position on the couch. "I washed your favorite shirt," she smiled, "Here, you wanna put it on?" She folded it loosely, draping it over the arm of the sofa. He could feel the warmth radiating from the shirt, fresh from the dryer. He looked at the garment beside him and sighed.

"Thank'ths Mama Knight," he muttered, chin in hand. His lashes twitched slightly, eyes fluttering towards the floor. "…but I don't really feel like it."

"_No_?" She raised her brows in surprise, seeming a little disappointed as she tried to catch his gaze. "Are you _sure_?" she asked, teasingly, "You never know, it might just make you feel better."

He got up then, slowly wandering over to the dome hockey table in the center of the room. He gave one of the knobs a rough turn, sending the men on the dowel rod spinning. He stared at them morosely through the curved dome, watching as the cut-out figures whirled to a gradual stop. He laid his hand atop the clear plastic, still peering into the mini arena as he studied the rows of tiny, colorful players; the boxy-shaped toy goals on either end of their flat, plasticine-like playing surface; the polka-dotted representation of innumerable stadium fans pasted around the edges. James shrugged.

"It's jus'th not a lucky v-neck kinda day." He answered flatly, hazel eyes still far away, lost inside the dome.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit filler-ish, but it's relevant to chapters to come. You'll see! ;) Foreshadowing, anybody?<strong>

**Thanks for reading, I really do appreciate it!**

_**And the fondest thanks to these fantastic reviewers: **_

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**I ADORE YOU GUYS! I appreciate you all so much. There would be very little reason for a story without you! With deepest gratitude and girl-like squealing...I thank you! **


	13. Chapter 13: Reflections

**A/N: Looong chapter. Hope it makes the MONDAY brighter. And has it ever been a Monday...internet's been screwy, format's gone batty...hopefully this will be at least somewhat readable :P *sigh* anywho...**

**Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing ;)**

Face Value

Chapter 13: Reflections

James stood by the window, staring out across the swimming pool and Palm Woods Park. He turned around when he heard footsteps coming through the inside hall. Mrs. Knight stepped back into the living room, setting down the empty laundry basket.

"Well, that load is clean and put away;" She replied, picking up another basket, full of whites. "time to finish the other." Doing laundry for six people proved to be an all day chore. She walked over to James as he sat back down on the couch, rotating his body to look through the window again. "Do you need anything before I head down again?" she asked sweetly. He shook his head and she went towards the door. "Okay, I shouldn't be too long. You know where I am if you need me."

As soon as he was alone, James got up from his perch on the sofa, striding across the apartment to the fridge for a fresh bottle of fruit water. Browsing the multicolored selection, he grabbed up his favorite; lightly tinted blue and chilled to the touch. He closed the refrigerator door, and turned back around, tossing his hair as he twisted off the plastic cap. To the right of his peripheral vision, the swirly slide curled its way up to the second level balcony; he took a sip and glanced over at it casually.

That's when he caught sight of himself _in __the __full-length __mirror_.

James froze; unconsciously holding in his breath, his eyes locked solidly on his reflection across the room. Hand trembling, he lowered the bottled water to the counter, setting it aside, and exhaled; never tearing his eyes away from the distant, framed image.

Finally finding his feet, he began to step forward; _left, __right__…__left, __right__…_inching cagily across the floor, until at last, the mirror hung directly before him. _That_ very same mirror—such nasty déjà vu.

The dream he'd had last night had been so real. Just making himself look into the reflection now, he could _taste_ the nightmare: The rusty blood on his lips, the choking white powder…James swayed and threw both hands out against the wall to steady himself, digging his nails into the wallpaper as he let his forehead press against the cool glass.

He remembered all of it now. Waking up at three, bawling his eyes out, screaming until his throat was on fire. Carlos had been so terrified. And it was **his** fault. All over a stupid nightmare! It was so embarrassing to think about the guys—_everyone_—seeing him like that.

Tears blurred James' vision at the haunting memory and he dropped to his knees on the hardwood floor. It was a dream. It was a dumb, stupid, fake nightmare—Nothing worthy of him getting so worked up over. He couldn't let something so incredibly lame get him down. His friends didn't deserve that. There was one way to fix it. He wouldn't let them see him that way again. Ever.

He had to suck it up.

James rubbed at his eyes and swallowed hard, ridding his throat of the painful lump bobbing there, and lifted his gaze to the mirror once more. He leaned in close and focused hard; _forcing_ himself to really look.

It wasn't that bad.

The scratches had cleared and his lip was nearly healed. _The __face_ was intact. And as for the rest, it would be soon enough.

In a little more than a week he'd have this junky wire off and a brand new tooth filling the empty space. Then he could focus on singing. The guys were right—

Everything was going to be alright.

Determined, he got to his feet, searching for the clock. School was practically over, but he did have time to make it to practice. James grabbed his lucky v-neck from the couch arm, racing toward the shower.

* * *

><p>Logan shuffled a handful of papers in his lap, separating his and James' homework. He slid James' bundle into an extra folder, and put it in his backpack, before letting it drop into the floorboard.<p>

By reason of the disciplinary action they had received yesterday, the guys had planned on walking from school to the studio again today. Needless to say, they were both surprised and thankful to find Kelly waiting for them after detention.

Logan and Kendall watched Rocque Records come into view through the open car windows as they gathered their stuff from the floorboard under the backseat. Carlos had called shotgun, _naturally_.

They thanked Kelly, walking with her as they rounded the familiar corners of Rocque Records, arriving inside the recording studio.

"Hey, Gustavo!" The boys greeted in choral; coming up behind him at the sound board. The portly producer swiveled in his chair to face the three of them. Wait, _three_? He counted.

"Where's James?"

"Oh," Kendall began, "he's si—"

"—I'm right here."

"JAMES!" Carlos yelled, running straight at him and locking him in a bone-crushing hug. James nearly toppled over as his buddy leapt into his arms, wrapping his legs around him like an excited little kid.

Gustavo stared at the pair oddly and shook his head, his round cheeks flopping noisily like a bloodhound's jowls.

"Um…okayyyy. Carlos—get _off_ of James…" He commanded slowly, over-enunciating his words, "You dogs can have your little _love_-fest later," He rolled his stubby hands around in a bizarre gesture. "Right now we need to get to work."

Gustavo wheeled back around in his chair. "James, dance studio." He pointed limply towards the hall. "The rest of you—"

"Um, Gustavo," Kelly suddenly leaned around the corner, chewing her lip.

"Not now, Kelly." He grumbled, "Dogs, go to—"

Kelly bounced, "No," she butted in, "Gustavo, you—"

"DOGS, sound boo—" He tried to finish as Kelly cleared her throat loudly, interrupting him again.

"WHAT?" He spun around, severely agitated at his assistant; just in time to see his boss coming down the hall; popping in to make yet another unexpected call. _"__Griff-in__…"_ he smiled awkwardly, trying to sound pleased.

"Gustavo!" The business man spread his arms wide in greeting. "Get the boys in here; I have some great news about your upcoming tour."

"YES! _Sweet!__"_

Gustavo didn't even have the chance to open his mouth before all four swarmed around them eagerly; jolting over the very instant the word 'tour' pricked their ears.

"_What __is __it? __What __about __the __tour? __Do __we __get __a __bus_?" their questions jumbled together incoherently.

"Well," Griffin smiled blithely, cocking his white-haired head to the side. "Why don't we hear the new songs _first_," he suggested/demanded, "and _then_ I'll tell you _all_ about it."

"_Sssss_…ooohhh" BTR hissed, recoiling a step back. Gustavo fake-smiled bigger; eyes rolling around toward Kelly.

"Yeah…about that…" he explained "we're not exactly _ready_ yet…"

Griffin gave a hearty laugh. "Ah, Gustavo! You crack me up!" He turned to his two-bodied, black suit posse; encouraging them to laugh along. "I don't expect everything to be **perfect** yet." Griffin continued, looking back to Gustavo and the guys. "Just give me what you have."

"_**All **_dogs, booth now…" Gustavo replied unsurely, turning to the soundboard. "Um…Let's do _'__I __Wanna __Be __Free__'_." He slapped on his headphones and his hands hovered once again over the soundboard; ringed fingers rotating the tiny knobs diligently. Music filled the studio and the guys gave it their best shot.

Gustavo and Kelly were smiling when the demo arrangement wrapped up. Its unfinished form, though a little short, was certain to be a hit completed; and the boys had sung it well.

But tragically, Arthur Griffin didn't agree.

"Where was the solo?" He frowned. "This song is supposed to have a solo. The backing vocals were lacking, the layering practically non-existent, and why isn't James doing anything?" Gustavo and Kelly followed the music mogul as he opened the sound booth door, going inside studio A where the boys were.

"James is working on his part," Kelly began, "He just needs his teeth to—"

"Why are you not singing?" Griffin asked James, cutting Kelly off. Before James could answer, Griffin turned back to Gustavo. "Why is he not singing? I thought you fixed him."

"We did!" Carlos exclaimed. He grabbed James's face and smushed his cheeks together. "Look!" He pointed inside James' mouth.

"Uh-_huh_." Griffin retorted, glaring at the dental wire-work with disapproval. James got tired of the face-squishing and swatted Carlos away. "Clearly you did **not**."

"James has to go to an oral surgeon. He'll be singing again in the next couple weeks." Gustavo answered. "Right now, he's going to focus on dancing—"

"What good is dancing when you need a soloist? _Music __comes __first._" Griffin declared. "A few weeks is just too long, and that's _too __bad,_" He smiled smugly, calculating his next move. "I was going to book BTR to play with Pillar of Fire."

The boys' jaws dropped.

"W-w-w-w-_what_?" Logan stuttered, "Did you say Pillar?—_**of **__**Fire**_?"

"—Fire In The Night, Never Slow Down, Runnin' Home, **Phantoms**…" Kendall spouted off song titles, "_THAT _Pillar of Fire?"

"—_**THE**_ PILLAR OF FIRE?" James interjected.

Griffin nodded, relishing it. He enjoyed toying with people.

Carlos bounced. "Dude, are you serious? I _love_ them!"

"Yes." Griffin agreed casually, "They _are_ pretty rad. 'Where's My Turkey Sandwich?' is my new ringtone." He held up the shiny silver flip phone for all to listen as POF guitarist, Steve Huckleberry, warbled out a lovelorn ditty for his missing lunchmeat.

"The Pillar of Fire concert tour starts in less than a month." Griffin stated, snapping the phone shut in his palm. "Too bad BTR's not ready." He gibed, tucking the cell into his silk-lined jacket pocket. "Hmm…maybe the Ziggle Zaggles will be."

"WAIT!" Everyone turned to look at Gustavo. "BTR _WILL _be ready," He bartered, nearly salivating at the prospect. Touring with POF would give BTR major exposure, the kind of exposure to put Rocque Records back on the map, and Gustavo Rocque back on top—a place he hadn't seen since the late 90's.

"You don't even have a soloist." Griffin scoffed. "How can you possibly be ready in time?"

"—We totally have a soloist." Gustavo blurted. He wasn't paying much attention to the words spilling out of his own mouth now; he couldn't let this opportunity slip away. Kelly and the boys jerked their heads around to gawk at him.

"_**What?**_" They shouted, quizzically.

"…_Kendall_—he'll do the solo!"

Kendall's eyes bugged out. "_NO, __I __won__'__t_!" he refused, glaring at Gustavo with disgust.

"Yes you _will!_" Gustavo growled back through his teeth. "_We __can__'__t __pass __this __up!__"_

"No. I'm not gonna take James' solo. He's been looking forward to it for three weeks and he deserves to sing it!" Kendall declared.

"Well, if you won't take James' place, Kendall, then maybe we can find someone else," Griffin quipped. His index finger flew up and he turned to Gustavo, "I'm thinking Snoop Dogg. Yeah," Griffin snapped his fingers, fancying the idea, "That's what this band needs…more cornrows!"

"Forget Snoop Dogg!" Kendall shouted, jumping in Griffin's face the same way he would a hockey ref that had made a bad call. "You're not being fair here! _James_ is goingto do the solo, or no one will!"

Gustavo grabbed Kendall by the arm, jerking him back a few inches. "Stop this, Kendall. James can have the next solo," He offered, then gritted his teeth "Like it or not, _Griffin_ is the boss on this."

"Just do what he says, Kendall," Kelly interjected, trying to make peace. Logan, Carlos, and James all unconsciously took a step back.

_"__Pret-ty __intense,__" _Logan thought to himself, _"__If __Katie __and __Mr. __Bitters __were __here, __I __bet __there__'__d __be __popcorn__…"_

Kendall glanced over his shoulder at Griffin, seething. His jaw jutted as he brought his face back to the studio's namesake, "_**NO**_." He spat. Gustavo was already turning red.

"**Don****'****t ****talk ****back ****to ****me!**"

"Don't ask me to replace my bud!"

"KENDALL! Either you take the solo," The bespectacled producer shot back in ultimatum, "—or I _WILL_ replace him!"

"_No, __you __won__'__t_." Kendall bit back, "Big Time Rush doesn't work without James and you should know it! It'd be the worst mistake of your career." He glowered at Gustavo harshly then turned away a second to compose himself. "Look," He replied much calmer, turning back around, "he's aced the dance moves already, he knows the music, he'll be singing again in a week like none of this ever happened. Our tour is a whole month away—_James __has __got __this._"

For once, Gustavo seemed to soften at his pleading. Like it or not, he knew Kendall was right. However, HIS boss stepped in before the wavering producer could cave.

"Even so, he's still hurting the band's image _today_." Griffin countered, reclaiming the desperate teen's attention. "Haven't you seen the headlines, Kendall?…What's trending on Scuttle Butter?—He's nothing more than **damaged ****goods**." He flashed a tabloid magazine in front of Kendall's face. Kendall smacked it to the floor.

"You're wrong. _That_—" he ground his sneaker into the offending pages on the floor, "is just the paparazzi trying to cause trouble. No one is going to buy that crud!"

"Oh, you mean like how Pillar of Fire isn't going to buy a boy band that wastes time and never accomplishes anything?" Griffin purred, before going in for a final jab. He glanced over at James, "Just like the fans _aren__'__t_ going to line up to buy tickets for _Big __Time __TOOTHLESS_?" James flinched at the insult and Griffin stepped back smiling at Kendall, pleased. "No teeth, no solo, _**no **__**tour**_."

Kendall's jaw clenched. Anger boiled through him. He held still, feet planted to the spot until he was back in control. Punching out the cocky C.E.O.—no matter how great that would feel—probably wouldn't be the best of ideas. Kendall kept it together; glaring up through his pinched eyebrows, and slowly shaking his head in revulsion, instead of throwing the fist he so strongly desired.

"I can't believe you, Griffin," He retorted, calmly as possible. He held a civil tone, but squared his shoulders at the man, raising himself to his full height. Gustavo huddled with Kelly, covering his eyes with his thick hands. Kendall was too far gone to be stopped now.

"You, _Arthur __Griffin_, are nothing more than a _big, __fat __jerk_ who's taken advantage of us ever since we came here from Minnesota. In fact, you are _**so**_ _stupid_, you don't even see what you have here…You don't even care!"

"Wednesday afternoon, James was in terrible pain." Kendall breathed in slow, trying to hold in his rage at the memory. "Heck, he had half his frickin' teeth knocked out—no condition to be anywhere but maybe an emergency room, _bleeding_ everywhere—and he _still_ sang for you. Now, you won't find that kind of dedication just anywhere, especially not in this town, and you repay him like _this_? With more insults? With your ridiculous song demands, and your dumb comments about replacing him with—with _Snoop __Doggy __Dogg_?"

The remaining three BTR boys now stood together near the far wall, having gradually inched their way backwards until they'd reached a spot where they could watch the brewing spectacle from a safe distance. Carlos clutched at his helmet, leaning in towards Logan.

"Who do you think will win this?"

Logan raised his brows, looked at Carlos, then back at the argument.

"Kendall." He deadpanned. Carlos laughed.

"Fo shizzle!" The Latino yelled spiritedly, shooting Logan a couple of deuces.

Logan turned toward James, rolling his eyes, and as a bit of mild retribution for his 'idiotic' joke, playfully backhanded Carlos in the gut.

So Carlos retaliated by slapping him upside the back of his brainy little head and…

_This __sucks. __My __life __sucks. __**Everything **__sucks__…_Why _did __this __have __to __happen __to _**me**_? _Why _did __I __have __to __go __to __that _stupid _hockey __game? _Why _wasn__'__t __I __more __careful?..._

James was far too spaced out over the whole Griffin incident playing out in front of him at the moment to realize that his two buddies had broken into their own, _howbeit __more __amiable_, fight. Across the room, Kendall continued to shout, but on James' ears the words sounded more and more like a distant hum.

He _hated_ this.

The tension. Fate jerking him around everyday—

Building him up… Tearing him down…

Again and again.

One second his life was good; his friends were there holding him up and nothing could touch him—everything was going to be alright.

But in the very next, his dreams were completely shattered; and all at once his world came crumbling down on him; only to have it start all over again…

_You__'__re __gonna __be __okay, __James__…_

_...We're kicking you out of the band…_

_You'll be good as new in two weeks…_

_...No one wants you, you're ugly now…_

_No __one __could __replace __you, __we _need _you__…_

Why wouldn't everyone just make up their minds?

It felt like a bi-polar tug of war and he was the center of it. A tiny, helpless mouse batted back and forth between the pitiless paws of a fickle house cat—

This reality was a joke. A cruel one. The whole situation was wearing him down beyond belief. And the constant ups and downs of this emotional roller coaster were quickly becoming too much for him.

He had to get out of there.

"James, you okay?" Logan asked, the first to notice his friend looking considerably pale. Carlos paused mid-slap and Kendall's tirade on Griffin ceased instantly, as they all turned their attention to the boy in question.

"I…_need __air_…" James barely managed to choke out. He whirled for the door, but Griffin quickly stepped in front of him and cut him off, trapping him in the studio.

"No you don't—" The executive declared, blocking the exit. "I'm not having you run off on me _again_." He snapped, signaling for his assistants to join the barricade. They flanked him as Griffin smiled down merrily at his panicked catch; "We won't have a repeat of the last time, will we, James?" He sneered at the teen through two, straight rows of pearly-white teeth; their perfection utterly taunting.

James' head spun.

He glanced up at Griffin woozily, then lurched forward and vomited all over the C.E.O.'s shiny, black dress shoes.

* * *

><p><strong>Eww. James threw up. Why don't you guys go review while I call Buddha Bob to come clean this up? Thanks! Ooh, watch your step…<strong>

**In other news:**

***'I Wanna Be Free' is obviously not a BTR song, can anyone guess what it's from?**

***'Where's My Turkey Sandwich?' believe it or not, is actually a real song. I'm not joking, LOL. It's the first song my youngest brother ever wrote and the encore novelty hit for his band, Pillar of Fire.**

**Thanks, Dad, for letting me use your work computer to get this chapter out to the people! **

**I promise not to tell your boss ;D **


	14. Chapter 14: Sick

**A/N: Thank you guys for your rad reviews! This one goes out to emmyloser, who has messaged me everyday without ceasing in her encouragment for a speedy update XD Hahaha...oh geez...Well, it took some voodoo but here it is ;) Now, let's see what's going down at Rocque Records!**

**Disclaimer: It's on loan, baby!**

Face Value

Chapter 14: Sick

The rest of the guys instantly jumped back, cringing at the sight, as their sick friend straightened himself and stumbled away from the surprised businessman's ruined Oxfords.

James broke past Griffin abruptly then, falling on the door handle as he staggered out of the studio and bolted down the hallway. Kendall side-stepped the slop on the floor and took off after him.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Kelly darted about the room apologetically, grabbing paper towels to clean up the mess.

Gustavo slammed his head into the nearest wall and yelled. His platinum records rattled against the sheetrock; _'__Girl __2 __My __Heart__'_ shook loose and crashed to the floor, the glass cracking and shattering out of the wide frame.

Logan nudged Carlos with his elbow. "Okayyy…Scratch that," He mused, taking in the chaotic scene around them. His face contorted into a grimace, but his eyes hinted at amusement. "Round one:" He concluded, "_**James**_."

* * *

><p>"James!" Kendall caught the door as it swung back and gave it a shove, tearing out of the studio. Wherever he'd gone, James had moved fast. He was no where in sight.<p>

The leader scanned the empty seating area outside the studio then ducked his head into the restroom, calling James' name. Receiving no answer, he stepped back into the hall, calling again.

He rounded the corner toward the supply closet and halted suddenly. James was right in front of him, curled under the Boyz In The Attic poster.

"_James_…" Kendall spoke more softly, crouching down beside his friend.

James was sitting in the floor, back against the wall. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his long arms around them, bouncing his feet anxiously.

"…I know I'm definitely getting repla'thed now." He muttered gravely.

Kendall exhaled, looking at James in an understanding manner. He patted him on the shoulder empathetically, and dropped onto his butt, scooting back against the wall, next to him.

"Ah, Forget about Griffin's shoes, man." Kendall replied, cheerfully, "He can go buy forty-two more pairs just like them if he wants. _Pfft_—I mean, for Pete's sake, we're talking about a guy here who replaces his pants whenever they get cold—_oh_," He looked back at James, who had paled at his last statement. "Okay…" Kendall muddled, quickly backtracking his poor choice of words. "Enough talk about replacing…that's _not_ gonna happen." He held his hands out, assertively, reassuring James of that fact. Kendall was quiet a moment, then scratched his head, exhaling loudly before readdressing his worked-up friend. "Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say here is, I think what we all need to do is to stop worrying so much and just try to chillax, okay?" He advised.

"Now," Kendall smacked James on the knee, "Let's just go home, kick off our shoes, and play some senselessly violent video games. Sound good?" He encouraged. James nodded, hazarding a slight smile as Kendall got to his feet and stretched out a hand to help him up.

"Hey. Don't stress about it," Kendall stated light-heartedly, pulling him up. He took James by the shoulders, holding him at arm's length. "We'll figure this out, James. Together. We always do." He assured, "Just like when we were down 6-2 in that game against Duluth—"

"—Hockey?" James suddenly interrupted, his expression going unusually pointed, "Hockey—_Really, __Kendall_?" Kendall stared at James, confused by his rapid mood swing.

"Well, I…"

"Why does _everything_ always'th have to allude to hockey? How could you remind me?" He shrieked suddenly, tearing out of Kendall's grasp. Kendall stood there and looked at him, shocked; as James backed away from his touch like a feral animal.

"Hockey is a _joke_—" James spat, narrowing his eyes at the blonde, "Hockey is why _I__'__m_ 'damaged goods' now!" His breath hitched as if he were about to cry. "_**Hockey **__is __what __sth__'__ole __my __good __look__'__ths_…" He lowered his voice into a whisper to keep it from breaking, and the soft tone frightened Kendall. "_**Hockey**_ des'throyed my career and _ruined_ my life. I—" He clenched his jaw, looking down at the floor, momentarily. He swallowed roughly, panting for breath, and his eyes shot back up to Kendall.

"I— _**HATE **_HOCKEY!"

"James…" Kendall reached out for him, but James whipped around violently, yanking his arm out of his grasp.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He roared back; and raced away, thundering down the long, red and white hall.

* * *

><p>"Hey big brother," Katie Knight was walking out the apartment door, pool gear in her arms, as Kendall, Carlos, and Logan were coming in.<p>

"_Katie_—have you seen James?" Kendall asked, straight up; he hadn't been able to locate him again after the failed pep talk in the hall at Rocque Records, despite Logan and Carlos' added help.

"Yeah," she answered, plainly. "He got in half an hour ago. But he went straight to bed…said he had a headache."

"Okay," Kendall sighed, relieved. "Thanks, baby sister." He bent down, placing a quick kiss on the crown of her head, before he and the others barged on through the door. She shrugged and continued toward the elevators with her big foam pool noodles and towel.

"Maybe we should let him rest," Logan advised, knowing Carlos and Kendall had every intention otherwise. Thankfully, he didn't have to debate the topic further, as they we intercepted by Mrs. Knight.

"Hey guys,…is James _okay_?" she asked, worry furrowing her delicate brow. "He came home about thirty minutes ago, really upset about something." She pushed a few wisps of auburn hair off her forehead, "Has he said anything to you?"

The guys looked at one another and Logan sighed, "He had a rough time at the studio," he frowned.

"Griffin came down to talk about the tour today," Kendall explained, "We did some songs and he started asking about James' teeth." He looked at his mother, blinking with disgust. "He got kinda personal."

"Oh man, you shoulda seen it Mama K!" Carlos raved, his energy the total opposite of Kendall and Logan. "Griffin was all like: Your fans don't wanna see Big Time _Toothless_—and Kendall was all: Oh, yeah? Well, you're stupid Griffin! So shut up!—and then James was like _**hmmmmph**_**—****BLAAARRGGFF!****—**It. Was. _Awesome_!"

Mrs. Knight peered back at Carlos, confused.

"Uh, yeah, he barfed." Logan was frank and concise, "…on Griffin."

Her eyes widened and she winced for a second, before skipping back to a minor detail in Carlos' story.

"_Kendall __Donald __Knight_," She declared, instantly setting her hands on her hips. "What have I told you about calling people stupid?" He tried not to roll his eyes. Why do mothers only seem to hear certain parts of the conversation?

"Ughh…Beside the point, Mom."

"Doesn't matter, I've taught you better. Hmm…So that's why he took off to his room…" She shook her head, getting back to the heart of the matter. "I knew I shouldn't have let him go down to that studio."

"Don't say that, Mom. Who knew all that was gonna happen? James would have done what he wanted anyway." Kendall reassured, giving her shoulder a little squeeze. He dropped his hand, leaning against the bar in thought. Then he raked his bangs back, slapping the counter. "Err, man! Why does Griffin _always_ have to be so _stup_—such a—_a_…"

"…meanie?" Carlos offered.

"—a meanie! _Thank __you, __Carlos.__"_ Kendall replied. "It's bad enough for James to be hurt, but why does he have to put so much pressure on him over it? It's not like he wanted his face bashed in."

"Not to mention the kids at school yesterday…" Logan's face twisted up, his mouth curving down into a frown. He snapped his fingers. "That's probably why he was 'sick' this morning. He didn't want to go to school. All this stress is getting to him."

_I __knew __something __else __was __bothering __him __this __morning__…__Wait__—_

Mrs. Knight straightened; instantly alert.

"Something happened at school yesterday?" She demanded.

"Oh, yeah, ha-ha, _by __the __way_…" Carlos suddenly remembered, pulling a slip of paper out of his back pocket, "_Could __you __sign __this?_ We got detention…"

* * *

><p>"Hmff?" James moaned. There was a soft rapping against the bedroom door and it slowly creaked the rest of the way open. He didn't bother to look up. He could tell by the lightness of the person's footsteps that it was Mrs. Knight who had entered.<p>

He sensed her presence hover towards him where he lay on his face, then felt the mattress sinking slightly as she perched on the edge of his bed.

"Hey, honey," she whispered, leaning down close to his ear, "Is your headache any better?" She rubbed little circles on his back, waiting patiently for a reply while he lay motionless on his stomach, face buried in his pillow.

James nodded slightly, finally turning his face to the side a bit where she could see his eyes. They looked tired and heavy.

"That's good." She commented, brushing a few strands of silky hair out of the teen's eyes. "I'm about to start dinner, do you know what you want me to fix for you?"

James let out a groan. His insides were still doing nervous flip-flops from the studio ordeal that afternoon. "_Nothing_." He grimaced, "I don't want _anything_." He confirmed miserably, and her heart panged, pitying the young man. He didn't look well.

"Okay, baby" Mrs. Knight traced her fingers down his face soothingly; pressing the backs of her fingers against one of his warm, ruddy cheeks. "I'm gonna get you something for your tummy and then I'll leave you alone." She patted his shoulder gently, rising off the bed. "Okie Dokie?"

James only hummed, too drained to show even the slightest aversion to her baby-talk. He closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath and released it; letting his face sink into the cool pillow. He could heard the faint rustle as Mrs. Knight left, her footsteps falling softer and softer on his ears as she padded away into the other end of the apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>THANK YOU…<strong>

_**To this story's lovely reviewers:**_

**BTR'slovesong, Milkamoo97, PizzaTop21, mavk4444, Lina Rush, SchmidttenForever, emmyloser, BigTimeGleekBTR, Twisted Illusions, CandySmile, AlliJay21, Stephen h 123, TurquoiseRose16, & Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky**

_**Story alerters:**_

**BTR'slovesong, CandySmile, CheeseInMySoda, Milkamoo97, SchmidttenForever, serafina67, XtremeBTRlover, EdwardsBabe14,..RainbowRoses9001, BigTimeGleekBTR, sasukesmyemo394, AlliJay21, & BTRfan9710**

_**Favorite author-ers:**_

**mavk4444, BigTimeGleekBTR, BTR'slovesong, & Twisted Illusions**

_**Author alerter:**_

**Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky**

_**AND to all who bestowed upon "Face Value" the great honor of being listed amongst your favorite stories: **_

**emmyloser, LinaRush, mandamichelle, mavk4444, EdwardsBabe14, Twisted Illusions, BigTimeGleekBTR, RainbowRoses9001, BTR'slovesong, TurquoiseRose16, & Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky**

_**(So sorry if I left anybody out or spelled your pen-name wrong, etc. Correct me, forgive me… :P I sure as heck wouldn't do it on purpose!)**_

**Thanks again and again, ya'll :)**

**You guys rock my Franken-socks! And all that jazz!**


	15. Chapter 15: Talk

**A/N: Thank you to everybody who reviewed last chapter. I was so stunned when the e-mails just kept coming in! I also want to take this time to thank my anonymous reviewer and aragorn2377 who added this to story alert, since I was unable to contact them personally. And thank you, God, for creating James, Carlos, Kendall, and Logan, so we fans would have something pretty to oogle over, sing along with, and write fun stories about ;)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Big Time Rush, I'd give those boys a raise!**

Face Value

Chapter 15: Talk

Logan, Carlos, and Kendall sprang up from the couch, hearing a door close down the hall. A second later Mrs. Knight re-entered the living room; carrying her largest tablespoon and a triangular bottle of some thick, pink-colored liquid in her hands.

"Well?" The boys asked unanimously, following her towards the kitchenette. She set the bottle of medicine inside the refrigerator and turned to them, dropping the used spoon into the stainless steel sink. She dusted her hands together and leaned against the counter, shaking her head.

"I think he's just so upset about this whole thing that it's _actually, _literally got him worried _sick_. I mean," She shrugged, "you know James—he's always been really sensitive about his appearance." Her lips pursed in thought, and she sighed. "Honestly, I'm surprised he's even taking it _this_ well."

Carlos slipped off his helmet and set it on the bar, folding his arms over it. He rested his chin on top, sitting down on a stool.

"I wish it'd been my teeth." He mumbled into his forearms, "I don't like James sad."

Logan and Kendall each took a stool, plopping down on either side of him at the bar.

"If it had just been anything but '_the __face__'_, James would be fine right now." Logan mused, elbows on the counter. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, lost in a moment's thought, then looked up at Mama Knight. "Has the clinic had any cancellations?"

"Nope." She reached into the cabinet over the bar, bringing down a pot. "And believe me," she replied, waving the pot by its handle, "If they have one, they'll let us know." _I__'__ve __called __so __many __times, __that __oral __surgeon__'__s __entire __office __must __know __me __by __name..._

She filled the pot mid-way with water from the sink and walked toward the stove, placing it on one of the front burners and turning the heat on to boil. She let out another sigh, watching the little bubbles rise to the surface before pouring in a measure of elbow macaroni. The hard, uncooked pasta made a loud rattling sound as she shook it out of the clear, cellophane bag. The boys' unnaturally quiet demeanors making it seem that much louder as they sat silent at the bar; lost in their own concerns.

"Well, guys, dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes." She replied, giving the noodles a quick stir. She tapped the fork against the pot, setting it on the counter beside the stove. "I guess I better go call Katie and tell her it's time to get out of the pool."

Kendall looked over at Carlos and Logan, "I'm gonna go check on James." He stated, hopping down from his barstool.

Logan gave a nod, quickly sliding down from his stool and pushing it under the counter.

Carlos' bounded down too. He reached for his helmet, snatching it up by the chin strap as his feet met the floor.

"We're coming with you."

* * *

><p>The boys made their way toward the end of the hall, quietly tiptoeing the remaining distance outside of James and Carlos' room. Kendall leaned against the doorframe, Carlos and Logan over each shoulder, while he peeked through the small crack between the frame and the bedroom door.<p>

James lay on top of the covers, curled slightly on his side facing the doorway. Kendall noticed he was still in his street clothes; the 'lucky' white v-neck and black vest were wrinkled and his hair was rumpled against the pillow: a lapse in vanity severely out of character for their fashion-savvy friend. By the looks of it, James must have run straight home from the studio. He hadn't even bothered to kick off his sneakers before collapsing on top of the twin frame bed.

Suddenly, the tall form on the bed shifted, lifting his head a little bit. Two sleepy, hazel eyes met Kendall's gaze, and the boys knew they'd been caught.

"Hey…" James acknowledged softly, sliding his arm out from under the pillow to prop himself up on an elbow.

"Hey, James," Kendall answered cautiously, slipping his hand inside the half-closed bedroom door and gently pushing it open the rest of the way, "Can we come in?" The leader asked, knitting his thick eyebrows.

James lowered himself back onto the bed, turning his face to look at Carlos and Logan in the doorway with Kendall. "Th'ure…" he permitted, laying his head back against the pillows as the trio shuffled through the door.

"Uh, So…" Kendall hedged; a loud squeak accenting the awkwardness as he sat down on Carlos' bed. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and looked at James as he lay on top of the adjacent bed. "…you…_wanna __talk_?"

James shrugged, staring up at the ceiling. "Talk about what?" He asked, flatly.

"Well, we could talk about what's bothering you," Logan hinted. The little brunette took a step toward the bed and James exhaled sharply, sitting up.

"Wha'th's to talk about?" James huffed, slightly annoyed. "You all heard what Griffin th'aid. You th'aw everything—_wha__'__th__'__s_ to talk about?"

"James," Carlos licked his lips, scooting over to make room as Logan backed up defeatedly and took a seat beside him and Kendall on the other bed. "Yeah, we know that, but maybe…" He gazed back at his best buddy, worry in his dark eyes. "Is something else wrong?"

James snorted, "Yeah. _Everything_ is wrong with me." He gave a bitter laugh, frown laced with acid. "There. _Happy, __Carlos__'__th_? Now you guy'th know—_There__'__sth __the __big __th__'__ecret_!" He replied sarcastically, and Carlos flinched a little at his sharp retort.

"C'mon, James," Kendall started; as James fell back into his bed, arms crossed, cutting him off,

"—Why are you guys'th doing this?" He sighed, writhing like a toddler on the verge of a tantrum.

"Well," Logan got up again and crossed the small space between beds, coming to sit at James' feet. "It's just that, you've been acting sort of…and…we…" He bumbled, unable to form the words. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, then dropped the arm and sighed, finally looking at James straight on, "_We __were __really __worried __about __you, __last __night_."

James immediately broke eye contact with Logan, biting down on his lower lip.

_Ughhh__…_He had hoped they wouldn't say anything about that! So, they _were_ talking about him this morning at breakfast. Errr! Why couldn't they just let it go and forget it? James stared up at the ceiling tiles, seething. Of all things—_Why_ did they have to bring _**THAT**_ up?

"Yeah," Carlos soothed, "It might help if you tell us about it,"

Kendall nodded in encouragement, "We're all ears, James…What happened to you last night? Was it a bad dream?"

James' jaw clenched, and he flung himself over on his side, facing toward the wall before his friends could see the angry, embarrassed tears welling up. He grabbed his pillow, hugging it to his chest roughly and dug his chin in, concealing his face in its feathery fluff.

Carlos' bed squeaked beside him, relieved from its burden as the other three shot up, reaching out for their friend. James swallowed hard, raising his face briefly to yell, while he threw his arm out behind him.

"Jus'th pleas'the, _pleas__'__the, _leave me alone." The request came out shakier than he would have hoped; only causing his pals to move in that much closer, trying to grasp him in a sympathetic embrace.

All at once, James jerked out from under their comforting hands, snatching up the corner of his zebra-striped pillow.

"Get out!—" He screamed, hurling the cushion across the room. "GET OUT!"

* * *

><p>"—James…" Logan started, before suddenly finding himself outside in the hall. Carlos and Kendall joined him a half-second later, flinching out of the way as the door slammed behind them.<p>

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" James demanded through the closed door; and they could hear him flop back down on his bed.

Carlos sighed; while he and the others leaned their backs against the light blue wall outside his and James' room. They stayed there for several minutes, standing together in the narrow hallway, listening to the soft sobs coming from the other side of the door.

Heartbroken, they all slid to the floor in a heap.

Logan closed his eyes momentarily, blowing out a puff of air. "So," he mused morosely, letting his head fall back against the wall as he cut his eyes to Kendall. "What do we do now?"

"Well," Kendall sighed heavily, finally rolling to his knees and standing. "Tomorrow's the weekend. No school, no rehearsal…" He reached down and grabbed Carlos and Logan by their hands, dragging them up. "And it's already 6:30," He shrugged, listening for any sound from James in the bedroom, and noticing the noise had quelled. He turned around to Carlos and Logan, shaking his head. "Best thing we can do now is just leave him alone and let him sleep it off."

* * *

><p><strong>A super-major-super-thanks to every one of you dear people for showing such interest in this story! Did I just say 'super' twice? YOU BET I DID! Because you deserve it, super-readers ;)<strong>

**Much love and a happy and safe Halloween!**

**~Emmaleigh **


	16. Chapter 16: Trials and Errors

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope everyone had a nice Halloween and pleasant weekend, etc. BTR'slovesong, Milkamoo97, PizzaTop21, mavk4444, LinaRush, SchmidttenForever, emmyloser, BigTimeGleekBTR, Twisted Illusions, CandySmile, AlliJay21, TurquoiseRose16, Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky, CrumpetCapers, StuckOnBTR13, and Anonymous-Thank you for your reviews! They make me feel jubilant, ecstatic, rapturous, and all the other happy adjectives :) Well…It's hump day and I'm bored…how about a new chap? **

**Disclaimer: Katie is reading over the contracts for me now…until she finds a loophole, BTR remains NOT mine :P**

Face Value

Chapter 16: Trials and Errors

The clock on the nightstand read forty-three minutes past noon and James lay there, curled up in the same position he had the night before; still dressed in the same set of terribly wrinkled clothes. The only change to this sorry scene being that he had eventually managed to kick off his shoes and rid himself of the uncomfortable belt buckle that pressed on his stomach and dug into him at his waist. Those discarded items lay strewn, haphazardly, across the bedroom floor now; remaining in the same random positions they'd fallen into when he'd yanked them off, one by one, dropping them over the side of the bed, sometime in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, a furious buzzing sound brought him up off the bed. He reached out to grab his cell phone before it vibrated off of the side table. He flipped the phone open, falling back onto his pillows.

"Hello?" He muttered, fighting to sound more awake. He rubbed his face, dragging his fingers across his eyes.

"Hey, James; it's Kelly,"

He sat up at the sound of the familiar female voice, and leaned against the headboard, his mind instantly replaying the gnarly scene that happened in the studio the last time he'd seen her.

"Hey, Kelly," James began, his words starting to come out in an apologetic rush, "Kelly—Oh, man—I'm th'orry I—"

"—It's okay, don't worry about it. Not a big deal, James." She cut him off, sparing him any further embarrassment. "In my opinion, Griffin had it coming." She giggled then and James couldn't help but smile a little himself on the other end of the line. She began again, mirth still coloring her voice.

"So, I was thinking if you're feeling better, wanna go spray tan with me today?"

"Ooooh—th'pray tanning?" James immediately perked up. So did his friends; who, unbeknownst to him, were currently eavesdropping in the hallway behind the leafy covert of Mama Knight's tallest house plant.

"Yeah, the best in town." Kelly tempted. "You know Faux N' Fab down on Hollywood Boulevard…"

...

"This has gotta work," Logan whispered loudly, pushing a cluster of leaves away from his face, "It's psychologically impossible for James to decline any profitable social invite, especially one in relation to tanning or any otherwise glamorous activity."

Carlos glanced up at Logan from his spot near the base of the planter. "Yeah, but what if he gets addicted to spray tanning again?"

"Who cares?" Kendall replied, peering around the plant's branches at James' door. "I'd take 'The Fever' any day over this funk he's been in."

...

"…All the A-list celebrities go there to tan. You might even meet someone famous!" Kelly promised. "So, pick you up in 30 minutes?"

"Umm…" James faltered, suddenly hesitant. "Thank'ths, Kelly; but you know, I acth'ually have a lot of my 'Cuda Mangerine left and I th'hould probably use that firs'th… Maybe th'ome other time?"

Out in the hall, Kendall, Logan, and Carlos couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"_What?__"_ Logan cried, spinning around to Kendall as the leader threw his head back against the wall. "Did he just _actually_ say that? No. Impossible…This isn't possible! I must have heard wrong…" He fingered the sides of his head and let out a squeak, getting panicky, "Is something wrong with my ears?—Something must be wrong with my ears!"

"Oh. My. Gosh. _James_…" Kendall moaned, dropping his shoulders. Carlos sat at his feet, mouth hanging open. He looked up at Logan and Kendall, his wide, dark eyes brimming with disappointment.

Half the day had been wasted away on nothing but one failed attempt after another to coax their buddy back into the land of the living:

Swirly slide race? Declined.

Pie and video games with Carlos? Refused.

Pranking Bitters with Katie? Ignored.

Man Fashion magazine subscription, pink smoothie, Selena Gomez poster, new pack of bandanas, and toast on a rope? Fail.

Lobby hockey?...Okay, **bad** idea…

No amount of 'Cuda grooming supplies, junk food in a blender, or Logan threatening to reinstall the swagger app had availed. And now even their sure salvation, _celebrity __spray __tanning_, had bombed.

Forget plan B—they were running out of alphabet.

"We could get the water soakers." Carlos shrugged.

* * *

><p>James had barely folded his cell shut and dropped it back on the table when the knob rattled and his bedroom door flew open. He sat in the middle of his bed, legs drawn under him Indian-style, staring back at his three friends as they barged into the room.<p>

Kendall reached into the dresser, riffling through the drawers as Carlos and Logan took up stance at either side of the bed. Kendall whipped back around, throwing a pair of swim trunks at James. The force of the toss wasn't that hard, but James still rocked backward, clutching at the clothes in surprise.

"Get dressed. We're going to the pool." Kendall commanded.

James glowered at him, then responded by knocking the trunks off into the floor and rolling over on his stomach in a move of sheer defiance. He nuzzled his face into his pillow, ignoring the three boys who'd so rudely charged into his room. However, the silent treatment wouldn't last for long.

"Ahhh!" James shrieked in surprise when something suddenly caught hold of his pants, yanking them straight off of him. "What the—_Not __cool_!" He screamed at Logan, sitting up.

"Look, James," Kendall huffed, "We're outta ideas here. Every single nice thing we've tried to do for you all morning, you've just turned down. Half our Saturday's been wasted worrying over something that happened yesterday! Now, it's time for you to just forget about it and come down to the pool with us."

"Yeah, Kendall? Well, maybe _I_ don't want to—_ack_!" James began to argue, but Carlos pounced on him, grabbing his vest and ripping both it and the lucky white v-neck over his head in one rough move.

James sputtered, raking down his static-charged hair, "_Okay_! OKAY!" he shouted, throwing out his hands before anybody had the chance to get a hold of his boxers. "GOS'TH!—If I go to the pool, will you **plea****'****the** s_th__'__top_ bothering me?"

"Sure," Carlos shrugged simply, and he and Logan stepped away from the bed, following Kendall out of the room. They could hear James grumbling to himself as they walked out into the hall.

"…_Boss_'th'y!...tell me what to do…_you __need __to __get __out __of __bed, __Jame__'__ths_…well excu'the me for being a little sth'ad—I'm jus'th trying to come to grip'ths with the fact that my life is offi'th-i-ally _over_!..."

"—You're going to the dentist in _three __days_, James." Kendall yelled through the door. "Just shut up and get dressed."

James popped out of the door in his trunks and tank top. He glared at Kendall. "Happy?"

"Yes." Kendall replied merrily, and he and the guys hooked James by the arms, leading him out of the apartment.

* * *

><p>"James—stop digging your heels into the carpet," Logan grunted, as he and Kendall literally dragged their taller mate into the Palm Woods lobby, Carlos pushing from behind; hands out and helmet buried between James' shoulder blades.<p>

James _really_ did not want to go to the pool—or anywhere else, for that matter—A fact that was made glaringly obvious just two minutes earlier when they'd tried to get off the elevator and James spread his arms and legs wide, bracing his body in the metal doorway.

Logan sighed. Although he was still a little peeved about getting smushed by the electronic doors more than once when they were attempting to pry James from the inside of the elevator, he could tell that his friend _was_ sincerely anxious. And after Griffin's hatefulness and the debacle at school two days before, he couldn't exactly blame him.

"Hey, this will all blow over by next week. No one is going to say anything…" Logan assured him, giving his arm a little squeeze. "And," He rolled his eyes down to the floor then back up at James, "you're gonna have a nasty case of rug burn."

James exhaled loudly in a bit of protest, but complied; actually moving his feet and allowing his friends to guide, rather than drag him through the lobby. He tromped across the carpet, staring down at his toes, placing left foot in front of right until he heard Logan draw in a sharp breath; his and Kendall's grip instantly tightening around his biceps when they both halted, glued to the floor. Carlos, not expecting a sudden stop, accidentally plowed into James; knocking him down before he had the chance to follow Logan's gaze. Kendall seized this as his chance, ripping the offensive tabloid off the top shelf of the hotel newsstand and chucking it behind the front desk.

"What happened?" James asked confused after he got back to his feet, looking between Logan and Kendall for explanation.

"_Whoa!_ Hey, look, James! Is that um, uh…sun-block girl?…over… _uhhh_—**THERE**!" Logan blurted, grabbing his shoulders to turn him in the opposite direction.

"Huh?—_**What**_ the…" James grumbled, turning back around.

Kendall and Carlos leapt to obstruct James' view, but it was too late. Their hearts sank into their shoes when they saw the immediate hurt in their friend's eyes.

James' jaw dropped, taking in the view around him:

On the newsstand—spread throughout the lobby—in the hands of guests lounging by the pool—

…nasty headlines waited at every turn, pages of heartless ridicule surrounded him on every side, and unflattering photos displayed his flaws from each and every angle.

"James…" Kendall began; taking a cautious step toward the brunette who seemed to have frozen in place. James closed his mouth and held silent, staring past him with wide, glassy eyes; his Adam's apple bobbed roughly in his throat and Kendall knew he was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, James…I'm sorry, man," the leader stated softly, reaching out for him; but James ducked out from under his touch, turning his back to the three. "James?..."

James hid his face, cheeks burning, wishing beyond all hope that he could only, somehow, disappear. That wish denied, he turned back around; and without a word, slowly walked away.

Kendall, Logan and Carlos stood by helplessly; watching the solemn scene as their friend trudged out of the lobby, head down, broken with shame.

* * *

><p>Kendall spun away from the group, refocusing the blind anger that churned inside him.<p>

He was hurt _for_ James.

And he felt like a dog for dragging him downstairs only to be met with this low-blow journalism.

How could people make money at someone else's expense? How could they profit from someone else's pain? This was injustice against one of the family. Kendall _hated_ everyone who'd had a part in it.

But murder wasn't going to solve anything.

He turned back around to the others finally, head shaking in disgust. Then let out a frustrated growl.

"Carlos," He announced, taking charge, "you go find James," He motioned toward the entrance with his hands; then sighed unhappily and groaned, rubbing his eyelids tensely. "Loge—we gotta fix this."

Carlos gave his helmet a double-slap, weaving through the crowd toward the elevators while Kendall and Logan darted across the hotel's ground level, snatching up magazines in all directions.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there's that. Plenty of angst for James (and maybe a bit for the others) to come :( <strong>

**Thanks for reading! Take the next big step…review? :D**


	17. Chapter 17: Diamonds

**A/N: Wow. The long week is finally over. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of working. And studying. And reading lines. "No, Sylvia!—Down, Sylvia!—Greg, make her stop!" LOL. I'm going to be yelling at dog-like characters in my sleep by the time we finish rehearsing this scene! Anywho, thanks for the reviews, guys! **

**Previously on Face Value, the guys dragged James out of bed only to discover 'the _damaged _face' plastered all over the covers of some not-so-nice magazines. Hope this chapter is one you'll like. It brings back our whole story summary by-line thingy. So…I'm gonna stop rambling now…**

**Disclaimer: Borrowing without asking, but with no malicious intent. **

Face Value

Chapter 17: Diamonds

James crossed out of the main lobby toward the halls as quickly as his weak legs would carry him. His vision swam with impending tears, distorting the people in the hall into one watery, blurry blob as he shoved past them and stumbled into the empty elevator. He pressed the round button marked 2 from memory, and dragged the back of his hand across his eyes, keeping his head down.

He could hear Carlos calling for him as the double-doors slid closed.

* * *

><p>Logan ran down a line of chairs in the lobby, plucking magazines out of each surprised sitter's hands as he went by. "Sorry, sorry, <em>oooh <em>hey, can I see this?"

"Thank you, I'll take that…have you seen what's on page 45? Oh, here look—oops!" Kendall seized the ripped magazine, handing it off to Logan who crammed the wad of crumpled, torn pages into Guitar Dude's guitar hole, before they moved onto the next victim.

Logan and Kendall worked over the ground level swiftly, collecting every Hollywood tabloid and gossip magazine they could find in the area, _by __whatever __means __necessary_.

Kendall jerked a rumor paper out of another lady's hands and stuffed it into a planter in the corner before turning to a middle-aged man in an ugly brown, argyle sweater.

"Enquirer, huh? You look like more of a _Cat __Fancy_ man to me sir; don't you think so Logan?"

"You're right, Kendall. Definitely a Cat Fancier"

"Absolutely. Here, I'll trade ya…" Kendall replied, wrenching _The __Global __Enquirer _out of the confused gentleman's fingers and tossing a cat breeding magazine at him before pulling Logan aside near the front desk.

"Alright, think we got them all." Kendall concluded, juggling a mess of pages in his arms. He peered over the stack at Logan, who was up to his eyeballs in his own assortment of tabloid plunder. "Good." Kendall breathed, glancing over the lobby for any missed books. "Now, we just have to destroy the—"

"HEY!—Those are for Palm Woods _paying_ customers!" Bitters screamed, coming out of his office.

Kendall and Logan jumped a mile high. The papers in Logan's hands went flying as he paled and nose-dived into the carpet.

"Oh, _crap_!—Logan this is no time to pass out!" Kendall shrieked, scurrying to scoop up the fallen pages before Bitters caught up.

He grabbed the smaller one under the arm, hauling him back to his feet and the two dashed out of the lobby frantically; armloads of confiscated magazines shredding into a confetti trail as they raced away from the crazy Palm Woods proprietor.

* * *

><p>Logan dumped the last stack of magazines into the gold metal trashcan as he and Kendall paused on the second floor landing, wheezing and panting at the top of the stairwell. They'd come full circle, rounding the lobby a total of five times, running up and down the south-wing staircase and cutting through several floors in order to evade the furious hotel manager.<p>

Magazine wreckage was _everywhere_—inside baskets, purses, vases, closets, mailboxes, the vending machines, under couch cushions, down the laundry shoot—but their mission was done.

They gave a breathless high-five, smiling in satisfaction, and pulled open the stairwell door; instantly recognizing Carlos' voice calling down the hall.

_"__James! __James! __Hey, __wait __for __me!__" _

Logan and Kendall stepped into the hall just as Carlos rounded the corner after James.

"Come back, buddy—" he pleaded, pounding down the hall with his arms outstretched, "I'll give you a hug!"

James ignored Carlos, lumbering on down the hall several yards ahead of him before he finally stopped, pausing to scrub at his eyes near one of the large decorative wall hangings a safe distance away.

He stood there a moment, fighting back his swelling tears, but they rose to the brim and a couple spilled free anyway, dropping onto the carpet below. James squeezed his eyes shut and sniffed, briskly wiping the back of his hand under his nose as he swallowed the rest of them down.

He evened his breath and listened then. Suddenly hearing not just Carlos', but a multitude of footsteps approaching; he looked up, hastily rubbing his face, and forced his red-rimmed hazels to focus.

His three best friends were in the hallway up ahead, rapidly rounding the corner towards him. He broke into a sprint.

"James!" Kendall shouted, as they all, predictably, took off after him.

"Stop! Wait!"

The boys ran down the long stretch of hall, chasing James straight all the way into apartment 2J before they slowed pace; finally catching up to him in the living room.

With no where else to go, James halted. He stood by the dome hockey table, glaring back at the blockade of friends panting in front of him.

"It's…okay, James…" Logan gasped, "We took care of it…" He sucked in a couple of steady breaths, swallowing loudly. "Besides…No publicity is bad publicity, right?"

"Yeah. And pretty soon, no one will even remember!" Carlos added.

James glowered, shifting his eyes down the line, then stalked past them, striding down the inside hall.

"James, stop—" Kendall declared, he and the other two hot on his heels, "Look, Don't worry about it, man; it's just a bunch of stupid paparazzi crap, next week they'll have someone else to pick on…"

James stomped into his and Carlos' room, yanking open the chest of drawers. He grabbed a fistful of clothing and slammed the drawers shut, vaulting back out the door before his friends had hardly crossed the threshold. They dodged out of the way, turning back around to follow him up the hall.

"Hey," Kendall reached out and caught his arm, as the distraught teen stormed into the kitchen. "_It'll be alright."_ He said sincerely, and looked into James' tear-shined eyes; "Come on, let's talk it out," Carlos and Logan flanked the blonde, glancing up at James with welcoming anticipation on their faces. But James withdrew his arm instead, instantly backing away from Kendall.

"I don't _want_ to talk." He side-stepped into the bathroom and stared back at the three, gripping the doorknob, jaw tight.

"_**I **_**jus****'****th **_**wanna **__**take **__**a **__**th**__**'**__**ower**_." He growled flatly, and the door closed soundly behind him.

* * *

><p><em>Big Time Tooth Trouble!...<em>

_Teen Idol Turned Beverly Hillbilly…_

_Who's Hot, Who's Not-BTR's James Diamond: From Hunk to Chunk of Coal…_

_Rocque Records' Secret Robot Boy Band?..._

_Metal-mouth Musician, Snaggletooth Songster…_

_James Diamond: NOT a Girl's Best Friend…_

The headlines raced through James' mind, replaying over and over again on a cruel continuous loop.

He locked the bathroom door and stripped out of his clothes, slamming his shorts and tank top against the bottom of the hamper; then stepped into the shower, turning on the water as hot as he could stand.

His throat ached with unshed tears, and his chest tightened as he stood there stoically under the almost blistering heat of the pounding water. He clamped his mouth shut, struggling against the quiver in his jaw that threatened to consume him at any moment.

With the final ounce of fight still left inside him, James held together for a second longer; reaching up to draw the vinyl shower curtain to a close across the rod before he let himself completely shatter.

A shrill cry escaped his lips as every bone in his body turned to jelly. He crumpled and fell back against the deep blue tile in a fit of haggard sniffles, sliding all the way down; finally allowing his emotions to take him over, safe within the solitude of the sound-killing shower.

Tears spilled over onto his now scarlet cheeks, each one immediately washed away by the driving, hot cascade. The scalding water stung his bare flesh; reddening the skin, but he didn't care.

It drowned everything out.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the rising steam, shuddering under the hammering jet. More tears came, diluted away by the sweltering overhead flow. James whimpered, no longer caring if he held them in, and let the crippling cries rise in his throat.

Sobs wracked his body, coming harder until they nearly stole the breath from him. He rolled onto his side; resting his flushed cheek against the cool porcelain, his long limbs instinctively drawing up around his frame,

-and cried with all his might.

..._Diamonds _were supposed to be the strongest material in the world_; _but right now, _James_ felt anything but.

* * *

><p>…<strong>Review?<strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Corrosion

**A/N: Look at that! Do you see what you all have done? We're past the 100 review mark! Can you believe it? _Well, __I __can__'__t_. THANK YOU, SO MUCH. Every little comment you guys leave is like a box of gourmet corndogs to me; and try as I might, I'll never be able to explain just how much each one of you readers mean to me. You are incredible people. You rock! :D And all that stuff… **

**Disclaimer: They don't belong to me! But Chanson and I have been cooking up some pretty nifty merch ideas…**

Face Value

Chapter 18: Corrosion

James stayed there, curled up in a ball at the bottom of the bathtub until the water ran cold; freezing him as it pooled around his naked body. He kicked weakly, turning it off with his foot. A hiccup echoed off of the tile as the last icy droplets fell from the showerhead, splatting the tops of his feet. Goosebumps spread across his skin, prickling the surface of his bare arms and legs.

Shivering, he pulled himself into a sitting position, drawing his knees in and hugging his damp, exposed chest. His chin quivered fiercely, either from crying or the cold. He ran the back of his hand underneath it, wiping away a mix of water and tears that had merged there, before they ran down his neck. He raked his dripping hair out of his face and rose shakily then, finally finding the strength to get out of the tub.

James grabbed a large towel from the rack beside him; drying off robotically before pulling on a pair of slouchy black sweatpants and his old Minneapolis High t-shirt. He rubbed the towel over his hair and draped it around his neck, when he heard a soft peck on the door.

"James, are you okay, sweetie?"

_Mama __Knight._

"Yeah," James cleared his throat, putting on the happiest voice he could muster. "I'm okay. I'm jus'th getting out of the th'ower, I'll be ready for bed here in a minute."

"Okay, honey. Just wanted to make sure." She called through the door. "Sleep well. Oh—and don't forget to brush your teeth. Night, James."

_ Brush your teeth…_

James stopped pulling his lucky comb through his damp hair and slowly set it down on the sink next to his extensive 'Cuda product collection, leaning into the foggy mirror. He wiped his open palm across the glass, clearing away a circle of steam, then glared at the reflection bitterly.

_BRUSH—MY TEETH?_

It was a simple reminder, maternal habit, and Mama Knight told each of them the same thing every night; usually warranting a groan, but they did it anyway. Yet, tonight, for some reason, the words set James on edge.

…**Brush** **my**** teeth**!_** Brush**__** my **__**teeth**__!..._

He stood at the sink, repeating it in his mind, lividly. His lips curled back into a snarl, revealing the hideous bundle of wires, crooked teeth and empty space…that empty space! That's what vexed him the most.

And it made him so _mad_ every time his friends would just blow it off and act like it wasn't a big deal. They didn't understand how it felt. Sure, he'd be getting a replacement for it in a few days—but reminding him of that fact didn't make things any better.

Not to mention, by the time that did happen, it would be too late. No, it was _already_ too late. There was nothing left to salvage of his rep now—

The winning smile was gone; '_the __face__'_ was depreciated, marred. Forget the rock-hard body, the washboard abs,…the gorgeous locks of hair. After all, what was extremely gorgeous, touchably soft, perfectly placed hair when you had no teeth?

His nostrils flared with even breaths and he ground what was left of those mangled teeth together, jaw set tight; fraught with frustration. Nothing even mattered anymore.

His life was his appearance, and now his life was ruined.

James threw out his hand, instantly scattering all the little cans and bottles that lined the edge of the sink. They clattered against each other, rolling in all directions across the bathroom countertop as he tore open the medicine cabinet and began pulling down more jars and tubes. He wasted several down the sink and turned on the faucet, rinsing the mess down and chucking the empty containers at the trashcan. Then he turned back to the jumble of grooming supplies strewn across the countertop and swung his forearm angrily; clearing off everything in one mighty, violent swipe.

He fell on his knees after that, panting harshly, and rested his forehead against the doors of the wooden cabinets; trying to steady his dizzy, ragged breaths. His chest squeezed, listening to his pulse pound in his ears.

James moaned breathlessly, gulping in deep lungfuls of the humid air, face still pressed tiredly against the smooth, white painted cabinet. His stomach jerked and twitched, threatening to pull in on him and empty. His head throbbed from doing so much crying. The whole episode had left him feeling utterly sick.

He'd always been _The __Face_. What now? What was he supposed to do? He was the pretty one, he had the voice. But all of that was gone. _Everything_ was gone.

He couldn't smile. He couldn't sing. He couldn't smooth talk the ladies. There was nothing left that made James Diamond who he was.

'The Face' had lost his value.

After a few minutes, he managed to get up from the tile; squinting at the too bright, fluorescent bathroom lights as he reached up and grabbed hold of the sink, pulling himself to his feet.

* * *

><p>When he got to his room the lights were already out and Carlos was sound asleep. James crawled into his own bed, utterly exhausted. His throat tightened with self-pity as he pulled the covers up around his shoulders.<p>

His eyes felt swollen, his cheeks sticky and chapped from his earlier crying bout. He stifled the whimper that threatened to rise from his chest as a few more tears leaked out, dampening the pillow beneath his face. Too tired to fight it anymore, he rolled over facing the wall; shoulders trembling with weak sobs.

Carlos lay across the room; eyes wide open in the dark.

Kendall and Logan had told him earlier, when Mrs. Knight had sent them to bed, not to bother James until the morning; but hearing James like this, and doing nothing was breaking his heart. He turned over, waiting for his eyes to focus in the blackness, and listened; perfectly still, until his ears could discern for certain the light sniffling coming from the other side of the room.

Forget pretend sleeping. Carlos knew he probably shouldn't interfere; but he couldn't bear not to, and rolled out of bed anyway, planting his sock-feet on the floor, quietly.

"_James_?" He called out timidly, stepping carefully in the dark. "…Are you okay, James?" he whispered softly, stretching his arm out to touch James' shoulder once he'd made it across the short space between beds in their sloppy, cluttered room.

Carlos' lips pursed when he didn't receive a response, and he leaned over his friend's bed for a better look. The moonlight through the window gave just enough illumination to James' face.

Carlos traced his finger over James' cheek, lightly brushing over the fresh tear streaks etched there, and watched the slow rise and fall of steady, even breaths.

His buddy was fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, it's that time of the ending author's note again!<strong>

**THANK YOU REVIEWERS:**

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_**Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky & CrumpetCapers!**_

**AND A MILLION THANKS TO Y-O-U FOR READING!**

**Wowie, that was a lot to type :) I apologize for leaving out or spelling anybody's name wrong, if I did. Sure wouldn't do it on purpose-I adore you all!**

**Drop us a line anytime, I love hearing from you guys :) **


	19. Chapter 19: Any Sunday Morning

**A/N: I think it's hilarious how they name practically EVERY BTR episode "Big Time _ " If this were an episode instead of a story, it'd totally be called "Big Time Tooth Trouble" :) BTTT was actually my working title for this thing—It was originally going to be a spoof! Just in case ya ever wanted to know…**

**The BTR special yesterday was so fun XD I LOL'ed so much. Especially on the 'Mann as a rich vampire' and 'Carlos peeing' parts. Hahaha…great ^-^ I actually watched it with my zany parents, and all their little side comments were just about as funny as everything else! Ah, they are NUTS!...In the best way possible :)**

**This one's going out to Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky who tells me this is currently her 'Favorite Story in the Universe'!**

**Disclaimer: Story plot MINE! Big Time Rush NO….**

Face Value

Chapter 19: Any Sunday Morning

.

_James,_

_Gone to the store, be back in 5 mins._

_Guys & Katie at the park_

_Oatmeal in fridge if you're hungry :)_

_Love, _

_Mama Knight_

_._

Mrs. Knight walked into the kitchen, setting her purse and the bag of frozen crinkle fries she'd just ran out to purchase on the counter before turning on the oven.

It was almost a daily routine—She'd start a meal, realize she didn't have enough of something, make a mad dash to the local grocery—Sometimes cooking in the Knight household seemed a lot more like feeding an army. You could forget about keeping the cupboards stocked with four teenage boys and their voracious appetites around! It may be a challenge at times, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

With the fries on to cook, Mrs. Knight turned her attention to the rest of the meal. She opened the refrigerator, rummaging for a main dish in the freezer—Dinosaur chicken nuggets, _perfect_. (Her little Kendall absolutely LOVED these!) She pulled out the box, careful not to overturn the big, untouched bowl of oatmeal sitting on the top shelf.

_James __didn__'__t __eat __his __breakfast__…_ she thought, taking down the little note she'd scrawled on the door in case he'd woken up while she was away. She crumpled it, tossing it into the kitchen wastebasket.

"Hmm, still asleep." She deduced, peering down the hall towards the boys' rooms. The door on the right was still closed, telling her that James was intent on taking full advantage of this Sunday morning; sleeping in a little later than the norm. And she'd let him have it. Mondays always came way too soon.

Steam rose from the sink as she drained the pot of macaroni shells, looking up at the clock. The rest of the kids would be back soon, hungry for lunch. She dropped in a scoop of butter, adding the cheese in when the front door opened, just as anticipated.

"We're back!" Carlos shouted, running through the door and straight for the kitchen. Logan and Katie followed him at a more appropriate pace, Kendall bringing up the rear.

"Hey, Mom,"

"Hey guys," Mrs. Knight smiled, shooing Carlos away from the hot stove. "Food will be ready in _**two**_ minutes,"

"Thanks, Mama Knight," Logan replied, towing Carlos into the living room where they wouldn't be under foot. Kendall leaned against the counter, bearing his weight on elbows.

"Is James still asleep?" he asked.

"Yep. Guess it probably feels pretty good after this long week he's been having." His mother answered, bending down to reach her oven mitts into the stove. "One of you wanna go wake him up and tell him lunch is almost ready?"

"Okay," Kendall said, spinning around to the rest of the clan. He cocked an eyebrow, devilishly. "Who's brave enough to disturb him from his beauty rest?"

Katie dove under the counter.

"Uh, he tied me up with bandanas and blamed an alter ego last time, so…" Logan hedged. Kendall turned to Carlos.

"Carlos, go wake up James."

"…What, why me?" The smaller boy whined, while Kendall just smiled back at him, ignoring his pouting. "I-but-_FINE_..." Carlos growled, and snapped up his helmet he'd just taken off.

He flipped the protective gear back over his head and shot a final, deadly glare towards the smirking blonde as he tugged down, jerking the ends of the chin straps roughly; then tramped out of the room full of resolve; a ready, militant expression raiding his baby-face as he disappeared down the narrow hall.

* * *

><p>"Mmm, looks great, Mama Knight," Logan pulled out a chair, ogling the mound of crispy fries as Mrs. Knight walked over, setting the tray on the dining room table.<p>

"_Yes_, thanks Mama." Kendall agreed, mouth watering. He looked at the empty chairs and back towards the hallway. "Gosh, what's taking Carlos so long? I thought he was about to starve."

"James probably kicked him in the crotch." Katie said matter-of-factly, sneaking a fry into her mouth.

"_Ooooooh_…" Logan crossed his legs under the table and hissed; laughing as Mrs. Knight gave her daughter the classic '_No __more __watching __Fox __for __you__'_ glare.

"Carlos! James! Hurry up!" Kendall shouted, "The food's getting cold!" He shook his head, smiling at Logan, "Better go make sure James didn't maim him—" He pushed away from the table to get up, when Carlos appeared in the doorway.

"There he is," Logan pointed and Kendall sat back down.

"C'mon, Carlos, we're ready to eat," Kendall stated, waving him towards the table, but the little Latino didn't budge from the doorway. "You hear me, Carlitos? James, c'mon-" He called again, "Food, guys,"

Kendall turned around and saw Carlos was still standing there, alone. "Where's James?" The leader puzzled, looping his arm over the back of his chair. "You wake him up?"

Carlos looked up at them, with panic in his wide eyes. Logan and Kendall stared back, alerted by the sudden loss of color in their friend's face.

"Carlos, what's wrong?" Logan asked, noticing the tears welling in other boy's dark eyes.

"…_James_…he-he-" Carlos tried to answer, struggling to make his mouth work. He blinked his round eyes, rubbing the moisture away from them and then his bottom lip jutted sadly.

"C'mon, Carlitos; what is it?"

"_What __about __James_?"

Carlos glanced over his shoulder, looking back down the hallway; lips parted, with a gaze of worry, as he tried to speak again.

Kendall and Logan held chillingly silent; watching with rapt attention as the other boy slowly turned his unnaturally cheerless face back towards them, choking on the answer. "He…"

Their hearts skipped a beat when the two simple words slowly, but finally, spilled out.

.

.

.

"He's_…__gone_."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh man. <strong>

…_**what have I done? :/**_

**Review to find out.**

**.**

**(Sorry it's kinda short. My brother is _literally_ nagging me to hurry up for church right now. But...Thanks for reading.)**


	20. Ch 20: The Evidence of Things Not Seen

**A/N: I have contacts. Contacts are cool. AND they're nice for a lot of activities, sometimes even _necessary_ with my different jobs and hobbies, but _I_ _actually __prefer_ to rock my glasses! I get so sick of people saying glasses are dorky, or guys never ask out a girl who wears glasses. That is so not true! _Forget __you, __haters!_ -Always wanted to say that-GLASSES ARE RAD! !**

**Maslow in his, now that is just about the hottest thing I've seen. Dude can wear some glasses. Not everybody can, but he… Wait. Was I ranting again? Yes, I was. Dang it, I'm so distractible. Sorry about that! Forgive me!**

…**Now that I'm done wasting your time, let's have what you actually came here for: _Onward_ with the story!**

**Disclaimer: How's it coming, Katie? Nope? Okay, then...BTR is still not mine.**

Face Value

Chapter 20: The Evidence of Things Not Seen

Kendall blinked rapidly, and stared back at Carlos, confused by his hysterical statement.

"_Gone? _What do you mean, '**he****'****s ****gone**'?" He demanded, jumping up. He strode over to Carlos and leaned around the corner, peering into the hallway in the direction of the bedroom. "He was asleep just a minute ago—"

Carlos puckered and let out a whimper.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—don't cry." Logan pleaded. "What happened, buddy?"

"I…went to…go get James…and, and…he's…_not __in __our __room_!" Carlos cried. Logan rolled his eyes, but held his sarcasm; instead reaching out to take Carlos by the wrist while Kendall paced down the hall to investigate.

"Shoot, 'Litos, you scared me." Logan replied, with a weak breath, "You're overreacting; I'm sure James isn't gone. C'mon, let's go look," he replied gently, pulling Carlos along behind him as he took off after Kendall.

At the table, Katie and Mrs. Knight exchanged an odd look, then shrugged; proceeding to dig into their quick-fix food feast.

Carlos entered the bedroom, following hesitantly behind Logan and Kendall. He studied his two friends, watching their reactions as they stood in the midst of the bedroom and examined the very scene he'd discovered only moments ago.

Logan scratched his ear, eyes scanning past the closet and chest of drawers, over the small expanse of discarded games and mounds of dirty laundry that perpetually littered his friends' floor. He toed one of the piles, prodding it with the tip of his sneaker, as Kendall cut across the room to finger James' tousled, blue zebra-striped sheets.

The room was a mess, as usual; both beds looking like someone had just rolled out of them, but James was no where to be found.

"…Huh," Kendall remarked; honestly, a bit surprised. "He's _not_ here."

"See? I told you!" Carlos shouted, crossing his arms. Kendall ignored him, walking back towards the living room, mouth twisted in thought. "_He__'__s __**goooooonnne**_…" Carlos added grimly, nearly stepping on the heels of Kendall's shoes while he followed much too closely after him. Logan made an annoyed sound, rolling his eyes at the dramatics.

"Yes! He's **gone**, Carlos. I ate him for a midnight snack!" Logan scoffed, finally losing the battle against his natural sarcastic tendencies. He let out a snort and chased after the other two as they wandered ahead of him down the narrow hallway. "He _probably_ just woke up and had to use the bathroom—_did __ya __think __about _that, genius? !"

He gave Carlos an aggravated look, and whapped him upside the helmet for his ridiculousness.

Mrs. Knight looked up curiously as they re-entered the living room, rounding the little half partition at the end of the hall.

"He's not in there?" She asked, equally baffled, as Kendall and Carlos shook their heads. "Huh. Well that's odd…where do you think—"

"—_Bathroom_! Duh." Logan asserted, wasting no time in striding straight across the apartment to prove he was right. However, he took three steps into the kitchen and halted; all his prior cockiness dissolved when he noticed the door standing wide open, and all the lights off, in said (_empty)_ bathroom.

Carlos caught hold of the counter, propelling himself into the kitchen and past Logan.

"Ahhh! I knew it!" He screamed into the dark room, whirling back around to Logan and grabbing him by the shoulders, giving him a jarring shake. "James has been kidnapped—Or he ran away—_Or __he__'__s __DEAD_!"

Kendall left his mother and sister at the table, wandering closer to the commotion as Logan fought for his balance, dizzy and annoyed at being violently shaken against his will. The beanie-clad teen reached his hand out towards Logan's back, stabilizing him against the jolt and joined the duo in the small kitchen.

Carlos stopped shaking the small boy immediately when he saw Kendall staring at him in amusement, jade-like eyes bugged out, from the spot where he'd come to stand behind Logan. Mrs. Knight and Katie looked toward the kitchen, confusion riddling their faces.

"Ugh, Carlos, there is no way _any_ of that happened!" Logan argued, angrily ripping the other boy's hands off his shoulders, the instant he was once again steady. "Now, if you would just CHILL OUT, I am sure there's a perfectly logical explanation…"

"Which is?" Kendall challenged, throwing the brainiac off his guard.

"Oh, ya know he, um…err, uh, he-he-he…" Logan balked for a moment, trying to think up an acceptable conclusion; until finally, those warm brown eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers, delivering the awaited answer with a quirky smile of confidence. "—_Went __for __a __smoothie_!"

* * *

><p>"No." Bitters declared, his tone aloof and indifferent, as he chomped down on a greasy bundle of ketchup sodden fries. He dropped the remaining bits back into the basket, and leaned over the front desk, slapping his hands palms-down on the shiny veneer. "Nope. I haven't seen him since last night…when <em>you <em>_two_—" He eyeballed Kendall and Logan spitefully "—destroyed $341.27 worth of Palm Woods literary merchandise!"

Mr. Bitters stared them down a few seconds more, hoping to put 'the fear' into the two offending adolescents; before taking up interest in his French fries again and tromping off to his office.

Kendall, Logan, and Carlos sighed. Not from relief that Bitters was gone, (an angry landlord was the least of their worries) but out of desperation.

Bitters was their last resort.

The past few hours spent had turned out to be nothing but a waste. They had scoured the entire hotel, from roof-top to parking lot and had come up empty. James wasn't in any of the conference halls; he hadn't been in the park, or at the pool. They couldn't find him at the gym or any of the food stands he generally frequented on the surrounding streets, and he wasn't at any of their friends' apartments. No one remembered seeing him that morning.

An unusual sense of panic was starting to rise in Kendall. And he didn't like it at all.

A barrage of terrors and what-ifs were slowly creeping their way into his chest, gnawing at the back of his mind, but he suppressed the unwanted feelings; the strong leader hiding them away for the sake of his group.

Luckily, he didn't have to focus on fighting it off for too long before Carlos and Logan were in a fight of their own; gratefully sucking Kendall's attention straight back to reality, and outside the confines of his seldom fearful mind.

"I _still_ think he was kidnapped, or ran away, or he's d—"

"Carlos!" Logan snapped, but Carlos continued with his woeful mantra anyway.

"Murdered in our own apartment…" The Latino wailed, trudging out of the elevator when the doors opened on the second floor.

Logan had just about had it. He was already freaking out and Carlos' annoyingly whiney, grim assumptions were the last thing the high-strung bookworm needed at the moment.

"For the LAST time, Carlos! James has _not _been kidnapped. He didn't run away from home. And he's NOT DEAD!" Logan dragged both hands down his tired face, then chopped the air for emphasis. "There's no sign of a struggle, no ransom note, all his stuff is still here, ooh and guess what?—NO BODY!"

He wanted to call Carlos 'stupid' right then. Maybe pile-drive him to the floor, right there in the middle of the hallway and have at it, not caring who saw. Knock that stupid little helmet off his head, and those stupid, whiney words right out of his big, fat mouth…

But truthfully, Logan knew that he wasn't really mad at Carlos. And frankly, there was no way that he himself could _completely_ discredit any one of those tragic possibilities. That particular fact scared the living heck out of him.

"I don't wanna be a trio!..." Carlos murmured quietly, pushing through the apartment door.

Mrs. Knight was standing in the middle of the room and came jogging over when the boys entered. "Find him?" she asked, before noting only three boys. Her son frowned.

"No… _He__'__s __not __back __here __yet_?" Kendall asked, gazing around the apartment hopefully. Maybe James had come home while they were out looking for him. Maybe that morning a pretty girl had distracted him when he'd gone for his mail or something and he'd just wandered off for a minute, lost track of the time...

"No." Mrs. Knight frowned. "I don't like this."

"Me neither." The blonde responded, voice hardly audible to the others; Logan took to pacing the floor then, rubbing the back of his neck worriedly, and Carlos went to curl up alone inside the base of the swirly slide.

Kendall whipped out his cell phone. A quick flutter of nerves danced through his stomach as he began dialing James' number, for what must have been the forty-second time that afternoon; and _praying_ it wouldn't go to voicemail. Again.

* * *

><p><strong>Curious about that little 'review' button at the bottom of your screen? Impulse isn't always bad- -Go ahead and click it! You know you really want to :P<strong>

**Thanks for reading! Much love, guys! !**


	21. Chapter 21: The Brink of Tempest

**A/N: I don't know about you guys, but I'm a little dizzy at this _elevation_…**

**Whoohooo! It is officially the 21st, and I figured, what better way to honor such a momentous occasion than by giving my favorite cyber-peeps in the world the 21st chapter? :D Hope you like! READ ON!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BTR, or The Pussycat Dolls, or House of Heroes, or Pillar of Fire, or any of the artists mentioned in the rest of the story.**

Face Value

Chapter 21: The Brink of Tempest

James hefted the weighty black ball from the track, stepped forward on the oiled wood and released, waiting for the thunderous crack of hollow pins to repeat in his ears.

There was some sort of solace inside that deafening chaos. He needed it, really. The periodic rumble of other players' balls gliding down the surrounding lanes, the muffled chatter of birthday party-goers and rowdy teenagers, the arguing of league-member senior citizens, the blaring music, the hum of the automatic ball return—the raucous medley soothed James.

He brushed an unruly piece of bangs out of his eyes, watching his name flash green on black across the overhead screen. He'd gone to sleep with damp hair last night, and now it hung around his head tousled from air-drying; revealing a bit of the natural wave he usually took the better half of an hour to style out of his long chestnut locks.

The strands fell back across his face as his hand hovered over the tiny air vent, cooling his sticky fingers while the pins reset, and James let them stay there, tickling the bridge of his nose.

Appearances just weren't important today. He didn't have to care anymore. About anything. He hadn't combed his hair, he didn't brush his teeth, he'd forgone all exfoliation and moisturization rituals; Heck, he was even still wearing the same dark-colored sweats and t-shirt he'd worn to bed the night before. Why not? Afterall, it didn't really matter. Public image? That was shot. There was nothing left to save. _It __just __didn__'__t __matter_.

He wasn't sure why he'd come here. It wasn't something he'd planned. It just happened. When he'd woken up that morning all alone in the empty apartment he never thought twice; just slid on his Vans, grabbed his jacket from the bed post, and followed his feet out the door, not knowing or caring where he was going.

And so he found himself _here_; in someone else's shoes now, surrounded by the smell of burnt pizza and cheap nachos as he stood under the whistling commercial-grade air conditioner, listening to the perpetual sound of toppling pins. Lost to the world. For exactly how long a time-span,—that was just another thing James didn't know or care to think about.

He cleared off the totals in the automated scoring machine and hopped off the plastic bench to start another game while the overhead lights dimmed, transitioning into subtle black lights, which cast the entire alley in an eerie celestial glow.

A new group of patrons bustled in, taking over lanes, replacing the other bowlers who were steadily leaving. A few minutes later, a disco ball was dropped from the low ceiling, spinning out little flecks of white light. James stood at the ball return watching the tiny 'stars' dizzily as they swirled over the polished floor, dancing across every wall and surface in the wide, spacious bowling alley. People continued to file in as the music cranked louder, blaring from the boxy set of tall hanging speakers at both sides of the room, until the whole building was consumed with the throbbing, deafening roar.

_When I grow up _

_I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies_

_When I grow up _

_I wanna see the world, drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies_

_When I grow up _

_Be on TV, people know me, be on magazines…_

James used to love that song. But this was one time the Pussycat Dolls could _not_ make the pain go away. He cringed at the familiar lyric, leaning down, to retrieve his ball. He cupped the heavy weight in his hands and held it there, slowly turning the smooth surface around in his palms; lost in thought. Yep. He was famous enough _now_; the talk of entertainment TV, to say the least. His 'face' plastered the cover of every teen gossip magazine found in every grocery store in California and the mid-west. VMZ had it out for him. Just like he'd always wanted, right?

—He should have listened to the rest of the stupid song.

He wished for fame and look where it got him. That's what you get for being selfish, he supposed. But then again, it wasn't really self-centeredness that had made James crave fame. And, though contrary to popular belief, it wasn't so much vanity that fueled James' life-long obsession with his outward appearance. It was longing.

The simple yearning for nothing more than to be accepted, maybe even treasured, by his parents. To elicit, just once, some small spark of pride in the eyes of his consistently distracted mom and dad. To feel loved for who he was _right __then_; not a future hockey star or president of a successful cosmetics company. He wanted to be admired; _needed __it_. Superstardom seemed to be the only way to get that buzz, that affection, that attention he lacked.

Finally he had it in his grasp. And it wasn't so sweet.

* * *

><p>Carlos sat in the floor, legs tucked under him at 2J. He breathed out noisily, spinning his helmet on the floor in front of him, as he had been for the past 45 minutes.<p>

Happy thoughts about kittens weren't working.

It wasn't like James to just take off without telling somebody; at least not for this long. Even then, why wasn't he answering his phone? If he couldn't talk, why didn't he just send out a quick text to let them know he was alright? What if he never saw James again? He felt guilty thinking about it.

Earlier that morning when he and the guys had taken off to the park without James, Carlos realized he'd forgotten his helmet in their room and ran back to get it. He wished he'd waken James then. But he hadn't. James seemed to be sleeping so well, Carlos didn't have the heart to disturb him, so he had grabbed the helmet and slipped out quietly, hurrying back to the other guys. If he'd only dragged James out of bed then, they'd all still be together. Maybe James would have been feeling better by now. They could have ridden skateboards and chugged pink smoothies or given themselves killer brain-freeze in a slushie guzzling race. They could have been happy, and James would never have to feel sad again…not like he was the night before.

His mind went back, recalling everything that had happened; how he'd waited, lying in bed and listening for James to finally come to their room. A few tears sprang to Carlos' eyes then, remembering the way his best buddy had literally cried himself to sleep that night.

"Oh, Carlos, please don't," Logan pleaded, knowing he wouldn't be able to last once someone else started the crying chain. He was beyond worried. No one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Building security had been alerted, but the LA police didn't seem to feel the need to get overly involved with the matter at the moment. Logan had reminded them that it wasn't necessary to wait 24 hours to report a missing person when that person was a minor; to which they kindly told him, his friend was 'nothing more than another moody little teenager who'd come home when he'd had a chance to cool off'.

All three of the boys and Katie were now sitting around the living room, anxiously watching the ticking of the clock. Mrs. Knight had spent the entire evening knocking on doors and calling apartment to apartment, asking the other parents if they knew anything. Thirty minutes ago she had gone into her room, phone in hand. She paced behind the closed door now, talking in a low voice to Brooke Diamond.

"If he's not back in ten minutes, I'm going to organize my own search party." Katie replied, failing to sound angry as she flung herself at her big brother, curling into his warm chest. Kendall swept the russet strands away from her face, scooping her silky soft hair into his hands before letting it fall down her back. He tucked a baby fine lock behind her ear, giving her a gentle squeeze; then looked around the room and sighed, taking in the circle of sullen faces.

"C'mon, guys. We've done all we can for now." He began, struggling to convince himself, "Look, don't worry. Let's try not to think too much, let's do something else; like watch a movie." Kendall suggested, turning to Carlos, "Hey, you have that new DVD you've been wanting to watch, let's do it now,"

"Really?" Carlos asked, perking up.

"Yeah," Kendall replied, smiling enthusiastically. "I'll put it in…now where is it at? Logan, do you see it over there?"

"Oh, no, it's not in here," Carlos answered, "it's in the bathroom,"

"Oh…" Kendall nodded, then stared at Carlos weirdly, "Wait—why would it be…?" He shook his head, then put up his hand, "Never mind, I don't wanna know." He chuckled at Logan's disturbed face, and dashed off to retrieve Carlos' video.

Kendall's eyes scanned over the small bathroom, quickly spying Carlos' "_What __The __Puck?: __101 __Hilarious __Hockey __Blunders_" DVD teetering against the edge of the bathtub. He grabbed it, spinning back around and caught his foot on the trashcan, kicking it over by accident. The contents clattered out, spilling across the floor with a high, tinny clamor.

Kendall immediately bent down to pick it up, brows furrowed at the strange litter. "Guys?" He called.

Carlos appeared in the doorway, eyes popping at the sight as Kendall tried to catch the items rolling across the floor. "_Ohhhhhhh__…_" He scolded, giving Kendall an accusing jibe, "_Mama __Knight__'__s __gonna __be __mad; _you _made __a __mess __with __the __trash_…hey, who threw out all James' stuff?"

"That's what I was wondering," Kendall mused, stretching across the floor as he raked the assortment of cans towards himself into a heap.

Logan stepped around Carlos, dropping an armful of cans that had made it out the door into the pile. He picked a couple back up, shaking the black cans quizzically. "Most of these are still full…" He turned them over in his hands, puzzling. Carlos took them from him, and began to busily replace the salvageable cans around the sink in a perfectly straight line, making sure all the labels pointed outward in the same direction.

Kendall set the plastic wastebasket upright, reaching inside to straighten the liner. His fingers brushed across a small object tangled in the bottom of the bag; _something __that __made __his __blood __run __cold_.

He shot to his feet, bumping into Carlos and Logan as he leapt out of the bathroom. The two froze what they were doing, turning immediately to Kendall who paced outside the door way, hand knotted in his mop of hair.

"W-what?..." Logan asked shakily, wary of the anxious look in the leader's eyes. His gaze shifted downward to something clenched in the boy's other fingers.

"Emergency family meeting…_**now**_."

"What's going on?" Mrs. Knight questioned coming into the room, scooping up Katie as they were signaled by Logan to sit down. Carlos stepped around Kendall, backing towards the couch with the others, eyes terrified. They sank into the cushions, and all stared back at Kendall standing nervously in the kitchen, their faces full of worried anticipation.

Kendall swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling dry as cotton, as he walked over and stood before his questioning family. He squeezed the thin, flat object once more tightly, plastic teeth leaving little indentations speckled across his palm and fingertips. He cleared his throat then, looking up; into Katie, Carlos, Logan, and his mother's concerned eyes.

Arm extended, he slowly opened his hand, each finger uncurling; at last revealing in his dappled palm the unmistakable, sleek, black comb.

"…guys, _we __have __a __serious __problem_…"

* * *

><p><strong>Before you bustle off again to shake a leg at the rockin' new BTR album…review? <strong>

**^-^ Please and thank you, groove cats! Only a few more chapter to go...**


	22. Chapter 22: Salt In The Wound

**A/N: I hope everyone who celebrates had a truly fantastic Thanksgiving! And if not, I still hope you had the best week ;) I want to thank all of you awesome readers and reviewers! You are all so incredible! I get such a kick out of reading your reviews and messages. **

**And thank you to my anonymous reviewer last chapter who signed in as 'all of the readers in da world'-here's MORE for ya! AHHHH!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or the Pussycat Dolls.**

Face Value

Chapter 22: Salt In The Wound

_Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it…_

_You just might get it…_

_You just might get it…_

_._

The bass beat throbbed; James could feel the vibration of it pulsing through the floor beneath his feet. Lights strobed throughout the alley; their colors flashed and twirled from ceiling to wall, illuminating the hordes of cosmic bowlers as they swarmed the lanes. The music continued to thrum inside James' skull, nearly overcoming the thunderous racket of the pins. Ugh, did this song never end?

.

_Be careful what you wish for, 'Cause you just might get it…_

_._

Once a great dance tune, now an unheeded omen—

You got it, James. You got what you wished for. Now what?

.

_You just might get it…_

_._

It haunted him. The words were _wretched_ to him now. Even pretty Nicole mocked him—

.

_You just might get it…_

_._

James felt the urge to scream and cover his ears with every repeat.

.

On sudden impulse, he grabbed the ball in both hands, lifting it to his chest and threw it; hurling it toward the pins with unwarranted force. The heavy ball soared halfway down the lane, fell in a downward arc, smacking into the polished floor with a loud thunk and hopped the gutter into the next lane; crashing into another player's pins with unbelievable speed.

An instant later, as the Pussycat Dolls began to fade into The Black Eyed Peas; there was a shrill crackle above and a voice boomed over the intercom. "Lane 11, do not loft the bowling balls!" A few nosey patrons paused to look in his direction, curious to see who the disembodied voice scolded. James did not notice. He picked his ball from the track, and hefted it to his shoulder this time, chucking it again angrily with all the strength he could muster. The ball flew into the center of the lane and landed hard, bouncing as it met with wood, denting the fragile boards.

"Yo, punk! What's the matter—you deaf or something? I said no lofting the balls!"

James spun back for the ball return and a large man in a polo shirt and khakis grabbed him, roughly pulling him out of the lanes and dragging him onto the carpeted platform. "You're done, buddy. Turn in your shoes and don't come back!" He bellowed, hauling James toward the back near the shoe counter. "..._Stupid __kids, __I __oughta __call __the __cops_…" The middle-aged man muttered impatiently to himself as James struggled with the fraying laces. "…Didn't your mama ever teach you how to work a dang pair of shoes?—Hurry it up!"

James slammed the ugly, two-tone shoes against the tall counter, throwing down a twenty and the owner seized him once more, his thick, calloused fingers tightening around the boys' upper arm almost painfully.

"_**Now **__**get **__**out**_." The man spat, threateningly; hot breath still sizzling on the teen's ear as he shoved him out through the glass panel doors.

James regained his balance, coughing when he caught a face full of cigarette smoke wafting from the people who clustered around the entrance, puffing away by the sand-filled box. He fanned his face, quickly ducking out of the cloud and stepped off to the side, sitting down on the sidewalk just long enough to slide his sock feet back into his white canvas Vans.

He rose, bending swiftly to pick up his fitted leather jacket when he caught the outline of two girls several feet away in the corner of his eye. It was blatantly obvious he was being watched. James straightened up, turning around as they approached him; a leggy blonde and her petite, punk-rock BFF, clinging desperately to each other's arms, shy and giggly with excitement. James tried to hide his grin as they tried to play it cool the last few feet to where he was standing. Ah, fan girls…

"**Hi**," The little one smiled coyly while her friend waved with a little too much enthusiasm. Still, James thought, it was kinda cute.

James chuckled, tossing his hair out of his eyes and smiled back at the girls flirtatiously. "Good evening, ladies'th," he purred, laying on the good ol' Diamond charm. "And don't you all look s'thunning tonight," he reached out to take their hands, just when the girls took a step backwards; and much to his surprise, refused to swoon.

"Oh, sorry…" The golden hair one laughed, suddenly looking embarrassed. "We thought you were someone else…" She and her friend looked at him suspiciously, clearly searching for a quick out, and taking a few slow steps toward the building's entrance, "Bye." She added a little awkwardly.

The other girl rolled her eyes, flipping her choppy raven hair over her shoulder, before pulling her bestie along by the wrist. "I told you he wasn't the guy from BTR. I mean, did you see him?—gross!" James heard them giggle as they disappeared from view, sashaying through the bowling alley doors. A few smokers pitched down their cigarettes, glancing over at him with furtive curiosity as they snuffed out the smoldering orange embers with their toes.

A hush of pitying whispers buzzed about him, the unwanted sympathy of complete strangers violating his already damaged emotion.

James felt a flush creeping up his neck, and threw on his jacket; sliding his arms through its smooth, supple sleeves. He turned up the collar to hide his burning face, the leather cool against his cheek as he strode quickly out of the alley parking lot. _Away_ from the eyes.

* * *

><p>The night was humid and starless, with the moon gradually peaking out around a hazy veil of cloud. James felt the splash of a tiny droplet on his hand, and then the crown of his head; dotting his clothes under the flickering street lamps, as he passed a line of glowing store signs and window displays.<p>

He kicked at the rubbish lining the curbside, filthy city gutters overflowing with forgotten and unwanted refuse. Much like himself. He glanced down at the heaps of dirty, soggy newspaper, discarded bottles, cigarette butts; with a pang of sympathy almost like brotherhood. A kindred insignificance.

Cool rain drops sprinkled his face, mixing in with the warm ones already trickling down his cheeks from long, dampened lashes. As they fell together, James wondered, brokenly, _Why_?..._What had he done,_ exactly, to _deserve_ this terrible plague of worthlessness? —His heart ached inside him.

And he thought things he shouldn't.

_About the way he'd turned out to be a failure_.

To his parents. To his friends. His teacher. To the whole music industry. His fans..._To himself_.

.

No one would probably care if he just disappeared. If he never went home again, no one would care, nobody would miss him—

…_Would_ anyone miss him?

He wrapped the thin jacket around himself, tighter; taking the nearest sidewalk and crossing with the light.

The air grew cooler; the misty rain swiftly picking up to a hammering torrent as James wandered on, trudging solitary through the dark streets of LA.

* * *

><p>Logan brought his hands together purposefully, resting his elbows on his knees as he let out a heavy sigh. The back of his neck was beginning to chafe from all his anxious, habitual rubbing. He looked away from the discarded comb lying before them on the small coffee table, hoping maybe that would help clear his mind of such worry. The tension he endured now was way beyond distressing as he sat with his other two friends, huddled around the couch at 2J.<p>

Kendall's eyes were closed; at least that's what it looked like to Logan, the blonde was bent forward, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Carlos sat beside him, simply staring; lost in some other world of thought.

Across the room, little Katie had climbed into Mrs. Knight's lap; trying desperately to stop her mother from crying where she sat alone at the head of the long, white dinner table.

.

And at the sound of a key in the lock, every heart stopped—

.

The next thing the fretful occupants knew, the apartment door had opened; and like an answer to prayer, in walked _their_ James; dirty and wet from the rain.

The bedraggled teen paused in the doorway, not seeming to comprehend the five people who immediately leapt to their feet and raced to surround him, relief visibly washing over their entire frames.

Warm arms circled his chilled body, drawing him in tightly, while he stood just inside the door listless, and unresponsive to their embraces; moving only to shrug out of his damp jacket the instant he was finally released.

He dropped the coat over the back of the nearest chair, avoiding his family's wondering gazes and their host of anxious questions as if he couldn't hear them, then turned coolly to make a break for his room; when Mama Knight apprehended him.

"_What __did __you __think __you __were __doing, __James_?"

Mama Knight sniffled wearily, wiping the backs of her hands across her shiny face. Her eyes were blood shot and wet, her nose red from crying. "You scared us half to death taking off like that, not telling anybody— for all we knew something terrible had happened to you!" She coughed out a wearied sob, wrapping her fingers around James' arms and pulling him toward her so she could look into his face. "Baby, why wouldn't you answer your phone? Why couldn't you do _that_?" James turned his face away as Mrs. Knight's chin puckered sadly. Her emotions had been a whirlwind since they'd first noticed the boy was missing, what seemed over a thousand agonizing hours ago.

"You've got your mom back home worried sick—**_we _**were worried sick!" she exclaimed, all of the evening's pent-up fear releasing on him at once now, in a frustrated tirade. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have to tell someone that their child, their _baby_, that they trusted you to take care of, is lost? Your mom let me bring you here, she trusted me to look after all you boys. Does that not mean a thing to you?" She lowered her voice, releasing him, eyes angry and full of tears. "—Don't you _**EVER **_do anything like that again, _James __Isaac __Diamond_!" She shook a finger in his face sternly, then let out a shuddery breath. James stayed frozen to the spot, even though Mrs. Knight had let him go.

The band mom puffed out another breath, wiping mascara trickles away with her trembling fingertips. "I better go call Brooke and tell her you're here safe." She muttered, running her nails through her auburn fringe, and shaking her head furiously. She sniffed back tears exhaustedly, and frowned at the guilty party once more, "And it had better stay that way, mister. Pull another stunt like this; I'll make sure it's your last."

James stared ahead, unblinking as she reproved him, his face frightfully blank of any emotion. The other boys and Katie stood by awkwardly, witnessing the whole scene in stunned silence; not sure if they should keep standing there or walk away, and far too afraid to ask.

"You will go to _school_. You will go to _work_." Mrs. Knight instructed thoroughly, emanating utter disappointment. "Other than that, you are not to set foot outside this apartment. Understand? _Not __for __anything_." She detailed his restrictions, brokenly, as the teen seemed to simply ignore her. "_Look_ at me—" She commanded, her tearful eyes flashing hot with anger inches from his face. James looked up briefly, before resuming his apparent remorseless state. Mrs. Knight leaned back, staring him down. Her lips pinched into a tight line, twisting into a warning scowl. Her index finger shot in his direction, jabbing firmly. "—_**YOU'RE GROUNDED**_." She growled.

James blinked once, slowly; eyes vacant. Katie, Kendall, Logan, and Carlos glanced at one another anxiously, concerned by his strange impassiveness.

His eyes batted, expression unreadable, his back pressed flat to the wall. He opened his mouth, his own eyes never making contact with the troupe of startled ones watching him in wanton anticipation.

"Okay."

And that flat, life-less, one-word response was all that the Prodigal offered before he stalked past the staring line-up of worried faces; marching down the narrow hall and straight into his bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, my lovely readers. Now comes the part where I need a little audience participation. James could use some MAJOR encouragement! So, calling all James fans—if you could send him a quick little note or tweet, what would you say? Send it to me in a PM, and you might just see your comment in the story! <strong>

**Please submit before Monday the 28th.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23:Wish For The Dawn

**A/N: *Poly-fil is a popular brand of fiber fill, quilt batting, stuffing etc…Anywho, it's that white, fluffy, cottony stuff they put inside pillows and stuffed animals to make them so smushable. My grandma uses it in everything. And…there's some in this.**

**Here's a nice looooooooong double-length chapter before the epilogue.**

**Disclaimer: I know, and you know, I don't own Big Time Rush…_I __just __want __a __hug!_ (or four) *sobbing* _PUH-LEASSSSEE__E__?_ **

Face Value

Chapter 23: Wish For The Dawn

Monday morning was not without its tribulations. Ms. Collins continued her blathering, ceasing occasionally to cast a fleeting glance of pity in James' direction; while his classmates eyed him curiously, and whispered amongst one another, sharing their own exaggerated opinions on the prior night's exciting, 'missing person' incident.

James lay his head down on his desk, ignoring their furtive gazes and quiet laughter; wishing he were back at home in his bed. Sleeping.

Sleep. That's about the only thing he'd be allowed to do besides go to school and to the studio for the next three months; or at least until Mama Knight's fury waned and he fell back into her graces. And that was okay. Honestly, lying around in bed or sitting slumped over the arm of the couch for hours on end was about all James felt like doing anymore anyway. And now there'd be plenty of time for it.

A week for every hour he'd gone MIA, to be exact. Mrs. Knight wasn't joking around. As harsh as that sounded, James didn't dare to imagine the punishment that would have befallen him had he tarried any longer, even just to daylight.

It would have been just as easy to run away—avoid punishment altogether. And he'd wondered all night, into the early morning hours why he didn't. What would have happened? What would the guys have done? Would Gustavo keep the band? Would his parents have come looking for him?

He'd gotten so close to finding out last night; in a stupid, split-second, impulse decision, his last wad of dollar bills crumpled between his damp fingers as he stood dripping by the graffiti-covered bench at the corner bus stop…

But something had kept him from it.

Sure, he was in a world of trouble now, but ultimately, James did not regret the decision to finally turn around and go home when he did. At least now he knew for certain the answer to the question he'd asked himself repeatedly while sloughing through the chilly, wind-blown rain that evening. Would anyone care if he disappeared? Would anyone miss him?

Being grounded sucked. But at least Mama Knight's discipline proved one thing. Someone cared. And as low as he felt, somewhere in the back of his mind, or hidden deep in his heart, he'd known it all along.

Whatever the reason, whether he wanted to believe it or not, the evidence confirmed it: somebody, more than one somebody, would have been bothered if he'd never come home again.

Despite the numbness in his brain, and the emptiness still weighing heavy in his heart; he could not dismiss his family's reaction to his rather unceremonious return. Their worry, the anger, the tears, their relief…He should be kicking himself for the awful way he'd treated them, he should have shown at least some remorse.

He just didn't know how to react to it yet, or even if he could. He didn't know where to go from there. But at least he was still _here_. Whatever that meant. And that had to count for something. _Maybe..._

But who was to say this whole realization wouldn't blow up in his face too, just like every other bit of false hope he'd been taunted and shaken by in the past week? Every silver lining seemed to be a hidden dagger. Every promise just another chance to yank the rug from under his feet and knock him back flat on his butt. It was getting hard to trust anything anymore.

James mulled his situation over lazily, letting his mind zone in and out between hopefulness and hopelessness. Why were things like they were, anyway? And why did he have to feel the way he did?

He simply couldn't understand.

* * *

><p>"Hey James, lunch time—James?…<em>James<em>…" Kendall snapped his fingers, searching for a response from his lethargic friend. But James just laid there.

Both of the teen's long arms were crossed limply over the desk, his left one extended in out front of him, fingers hanging over the edge of the tabletop. His head was turned to the side, cheek flattened against the smooth surface; eyes staring languidly out the window. He'd been sprawled that way the better part of the last two and a half hours, and remained so now, as static as any inanimate object.

Realizing James was not going to make any effort to move, Kendall, Carlos, and Logan grabbed his desk; pulling him towards them, to complete their usual four-desk lunch circle.

Carlos picked up James' lunch bag, cheerily setting it on the desk by his buddy's head. James still didn't respond, so Logan opened the paper sack and reached in, digging the food out for him. He pulled out a cup of applesauce, waving it under James' nose, temptingly.

"C'mon, James," He pleaded softly, dimpling half his face with his most beseeching expression, "You gotta eat something…"

Logan paused a second, watching James for a reaction; then peeled back the foil, jabbing a plastic spoon inside the sweet, amber-colored fruit substance. "Here," he offered, sliding it across the desk once it was opened. "…Now, don't make me have to feed you—" he teased, raising his brows. "Eat."

James sighed heavily, at last demonstrating a small sign of life. His fingers pinched the outside rim of the little plastic cup, pushing the applesauce away from his face. He lifted his head off of the desk, and rested his temple against his left fist, glancing back toward Logan.

"Wha'th's the point?" He muttered honestly, first words all day, "I can't have what I want."

Mushy Junk. That's all James got. Mashed potatoes, puréed fruit, creamed corn—_**oatmeal**_. He was so sick of eating the same slop day in, day out! It sucked. It was just so unfair to have to sit around slurping yet another bowl of runny, condensed, canned tomato soup, when everyone else could have fish stick Friday…and double bacon cheeseburgers…or a plate of crunchy nachos…corndogs…crispy tater tots…chili cheese fries…

James wanted _real_ food.

His friends had tried; he'd give them that. The first night when he'd come home from the dentist, they saw how it pained him watching them all eat pizza; so they had the bright idea to put a couple of slices into the blender for him. It wasn't pretty. James had to hold back a gag now just thinking about it. However nice the thought, puréed pepperoni was simply way too nasty for human consumption. Shame that it had to go to waste. _Well, __maybe __not __a __complete __waste_—

After all, it _had_ been ridiculously fun to dump out the window on Bitter's head…

James nearly smiled at the memory; but squelched it before it became anything more. There really wasn't any reason to be happy. He couldn't laugh about that now, and he wouldn't laugh for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe not even the rest of his sorry life.

It was just another reminder of his livelihood lost.

James used his feet to scoot himself back outside the circle, then put his head back down; laying that way until lunch and last period were finally over.

* * *

><p>School had ended and Kelly picked them up and took them to Rocque Records, where James had barely muddled through practice, earning him a pretty decent sized scream-fit from Gustavo due to his 'careless attitude and lackluster performance'.<p>

Now Kelly took the boys back home, dropping them off just outside the Palm Woods. They slung their backpacks over their shoulders, _three_ of them waving as her car disappeared from view.

"I'm gonna go lay down." James put bluntly, staring down at the pavement. He started to walk off but Carlos clung to his arm.

"No…let's get smoothies first," the Latino whined, pointing at their favorite vendor just outside the park. "Mama Knight won't care if you don't go straight up; we can get some and take them with us."

Logan and Kendall nodded, liking Carlos' idea. Pink smoothies could cheer anyone up.

"Yeah, c'mon James—We're buyin'," Kendall cocked an eyebrow, spreading his hands in a cajoling way, "You know you want one," he quipped as he and the other boys grinned at their pal casually.

James gave them a dead look.

Then the four of them stepped onto the sidewalk, bridging the short span to the smoothie vendor's cart.

"Okay," Kendall drawled, sliding his wallet into his back pocket as he handed the smoothies back. "Here's one for Carlos…one for Logan…one for James…" When the third drink didn't leave his hand, Kendall turned around to see why. "Here ya go, Jaaa…_mes_?" Carlos and Logan looked behind them as well, only to find James already long gone.

That was enough. Kendall clenched his jaw and he hurled the smoothie at the ground, taking off straight for the Palm Woods.

Logan hurried after him while Carlos fell behind, still freaking out over the creamy pink goodness left oozing out across the hot pavement.

"_Wait!__—_Logan! Kendall! _Stop_…Aarggh!" Carlos called; dropped to the sidewalk on his hands and knees, and hastily trying to scoop the sticky sweet liquid back into its cracked cup. He strove eagerly for about all of three seconds before he gave up and scrambled back to his feet; abandoning the gooey pink puddle and racing out of the park to catch up with the other boys.

* * *

><p>"Kendall!" Logan jogged down the hallway, after the blonde. Carlos had nearly caught up to them, tagging behind only a couple of yards, sticky hands swinging at his sides. Logan reached out, grabbing for Kendall's shirt sleeve, "Kendall, wait…<em>Kendall<em>—" he tried to stop his fuming friend, but it was too late; Kendall had already burst through apartment 2J's door.

James sat staring, flopped down right in the middle of the orange sectional and still wearing the same old sweatpants and t-shirt he'd pulled on two nights ago; the same thing he'd worn when he "ran away", the same thing he'd worn to school that morning after begrudgingly hauling himself out of bed at the very last minute, not even bothering to run a comb through his hair or to brush his teeth. He didn't even flinch when the door burst open. He just sat there. Kendall couldn't stand it.

Kendall plowed through the door and stormed over to the couch, glaring down at his miserable lump of a friend, green eyes raging with disgust and blazing enmity.

Logan and Carlos dashed into the living room and screeched to a frozen halt, staring at the two boys; one of which looked poised to strike.

"What ? !" Kendall shouted, his voice finally shattering the edgy silence.

"What more do you want, James ? !" He demanded, leaning in, and growing more visibly frustrated when the other teen didn't provide an answer. "We've done everything we can think of to help you!" Kendall exclaimed, as James stared through him, "Mom has done _everything_—and then you just run off! She blames herself for not watching you, thinks she didn't provide enough for you, that she's failed you in someway—do you have any idea how close she is to sending you home?"

Kendall made a loop around the coffee table and stood at the other end of the couch. Carlos and Logan tensed.

"I'm sick of your attitude, James. I'm tired of you worrying my mom. Making my baby sister cry. It's stupid that Carlos has to sleep out here on the couch because you're stowed away in your room pitying yourself." Kendall shook his head, disgustedly. "Well, guess what? A lot of people have it a heck of a lot worse than you." The leader spat. "That dumb tooth of yours will be replaced in a coupe of days, and _you __can__'__t __deal_? We're good friends—we've been patient, we've tried to help you _because __we _love you_, __James_." He softened slightly, expression pained, before launching into accusation again, "But you just don't even _care_!"

James kept his head down, but cut his eyes up briefly, stealing a quick glance at the blonde before he closed his eyes and turned his face away, jaw rigid.

"Let it go, already." Kendall said slowly, sternly. "_Get_ over it, _get _off the couch—" He sniffed loudly, giving James a disapproving frown, "and take a bath!—_You __smell!__"_

"Like a turd." Carlos added under his breath, unconsciously. Everything halted.

Kendall stopped yelling at James and whirled around, thrown off by the random interjection.

Logan's jaw dropped. He would have normally slapped Carlos for such an interruption, but let a giggle escape instead, hazarding a quick glance in the unwitting Latino's direction.

Kendall crinkled his eyebrows, rapidly losing his angry steam; as met both their gazes, crooked grin spreading his face uncontrollably. All at once, the three turned on James and broke into spontaneous song.

"Oh, you're such a turd! Oh yeah, a giant turd! And you look like a turd, and you smell like a turd!..."

James looked like he'd been slapped at first, then ducked his head, trying his hardest not to smile at his friends' goofy, impromptu serenade. They danced around the couch, singing at the top of their lungs.

"_Oh_, you're such a turd!" they began again, "OH YEAH! A giant turd! And you look like a turd, and you—"

"—**Sth****'****MELL-**_**E**_**-ELL-**_**E**_**-ELLLLL ****like ****a ****tur-**_**r**_**-r-**_**rdddd**_!" James could not resist any longer, jumping right on top of the center of the couch like Tom Cruise on the Oprah show to out-belt everyone.

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan burst into smiles, whooping and applauding, and James took a bow, only to be pelted by throw pillows from the end of the couch.

"James, you are such a ham!" Kendall shouted, smacking him in the gut with a heavy feather pillow and knocking him off balance. James grabbed Kendall's shirt trying to save himself, but sent both of them flipping backwards over the side of the couch with a loud thud, laughing hysterically. Logan and Carlos pounced over on top of the two and it was full-on pillow warfare.

Mrs. Knight heard all the bumping and banging and rushed down the hall, about to run into the living room and break up the serious pillow fight when she noticed James. For the first time in over a week he looked _happy_. He was…_laughing_. Loud. She stood back and watched a few more seconds in the secrecy of the below balcony alcove, then smiled, walking back to her room.

It was time to call Brooke back.

"Eat Poly-fil, Logie!" James hollered, slamming Logan in the head with a large, overstuffed bolster and cackling before getting tackled by Carlos. "Ha—hahaha, no sth'op it! Hahhaa… Hey! No tickling—Carlos'th!…Bwahaha! Oh, help…ahhhaha—no fair, _no __fair_!"

Their revelry was halted when the door burst open, rebounding against the wall. A familiar sharp-dressed CEO stood in the doorway. They all shot to their feet. James shrieked, instantly pulling Logan in front of him as a human-shield.

"I can still see you back there, James." Arthur Griffin purred, waltzing into the center of the living room. His tall, right-hand man, Abdul, stationed himself behind the executive, polished briefcase at chest level.

Kendall stepped in front of James and the other guys, eyeing the men hardly. "What do you _want_, Griffin?" he asked, almost sounding bored, "This about the other day at the studio?" Kendall tipped his chin back and focused on the man smugly, holding his ground as the business man came close to him, invading his personal space. Griffin smiled briefly and ignored the questions, walking straight past Kendall, to the three boys cowering behind him.

He circled the group, pacing methodically; hands tucked behind his back, before he came to a stop directly in front of James.

And stood.

Logan and Carlos' eyes scanned the room anxiously, uncomfortable with the eerie stillness while the CEO's unblinking gaze bore down upon their best friend.

Long seconds later, the silver-haired executive finally spoke.

"Nobody has ralphed on me since I partied with The Who back in 1969…" He began, glaring at James with a serious demeanor. James shuddered, audibly gulping as the CEO looked him over, pacing back and forth again, gaze tracing his frame, sizing him up with a cool, appraising stare.

Arthur Griffin brought his heels together and stopped. He locked eyes with the pretty-boy then, thin lips pulling into a slight smile, "…_That— _was pretty rock 'n roll."

He clapped his hands together proudly in conclusion, stepping back; and folded his arms across his chest, looking back up at James. "The industry needs more of that; which is exactly why I'm _not_ kicking you out of this band."

"—_NOOOOO!__"_ James burst unexpectedly, "I'm th'o th'orry!" He fell to the floor, hanging onto the CEO's legs, "I-I-I-I—pleas'the, Griffin! Give me another chance! I'm _th__'__o_ th'orry, _pleas__'__the!_ I..."

James stopped groveling and leapt up, suddenly realizing he'd missed the last part of Griffin's comment in his insane terror. "**What**?"

"YES!" Kendall exclaimed, slapping the table with excitement. Carlos let out a whoop and slammed into James, lifting his pal's feet off the ground with a crushing hug. Logan's mouth hung open in surprise.

"Wait—" the brainiac gawked at Griffin, yelling over the other guys' ruckus. "Let me get this straight. You're _NOT_ kicking James out of the band…because he _PUKED_? That's your reason ? ?"

"_Oh,_ _don__'__t __question __it, __Logan!__"_ Kendall enthused, "_WHO __CARES _? ! James is still in the band and Big Time Rush is stronger than ever ! !"

"_Hold __on __a __second, __Brooke.__"_ Mrs. Knight, suddenly popped around the corner, phone pressed to her shoulder. Katie slid into the living room behind her, bright eyes falling immediately on Kendall. Mama Knight's eyes were smiling, "Is that the truth? Did we just hear right?"

"Yes. BTR is still very much together." Griffin smiled sincerely. "And also this…" He waved his hand, then turned to the door and called, "Kelly? Gustavo?"

The chubby record producer and his assistant burst through the doorway as Griffin motioned for Abdul to open up the briefcase. Kelly was visibly trembling with happiness; Gustavo hadn't looked so joyous since his tree-grooming hippie incident with Buddha Bob.

"Turns out, it's right, what they say," Griffin explained, punching a button on the laptop balanced inside Abdul's open briefcase. "No publicity _is_ bad publicity."

A screen popped up with the RCM-CBT GLOBALNET SANYOID homepage. Another flick of the wrist brought up graphs and charts, green arrows climbing toward their tops in steep, jagged lines.

"Record sales, website hits, merchandise…profits are up 68% in the last 24 hours alone," Griffin detailed "People love good drama."

"The paparazzi can be murder," Gustavo took over, "but in this case, it can actually work to you dogs' advantage—A concert tour is gonna be a great way to dispel all the rumors. For which, ticket sales are through the roof!"

"First three shows sold out in under thirty minutes," Kelly squealed, scrolling through her phone, "and have you _seen_ the ScuttButts from fans lately?"

James reached out to take the phone, gawking at the screen in astonishment as he skimmed through the never-ending queue of encouraging videos and messages left by fans on the BTR ScuttleButter page.

.

_**BTRMommy: **__jamesdiamond You're so pretty! You're the prettiest one! Don't worry about the paparazzi, they don't know what they're talking about! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**BigTimeLovers14:** jamesdiamond Don't get too down! You may have dental issues, but you are still the same beautiful person as before, and your fans still love you! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**NateyNayNay: **jamesdiamond Listening to "Halfway There" as we speak, you're gonna make it through this James. Can't wait to see you shine like the diamond that you are! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**emmyloser:** jamesdiamond No matter what you look like, you're still beautiful to me! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**Stella42BTR: **jamesdiamond CYBER-HUGZ for my fave BTR dude eva ! ! LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU JAMES ! ! XOXOXO #diamondsr4ever!_

_**shortybubbles27:** jamesdiamond Don't give up, James! We love you! We never stopped! No matter what, I'll stick it through with you! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**JamiesGurrl: **jamesdiamond The Face you can't replace ! Get well soon, hun ! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**Icecreamgiblets01: **jamesdiamond You are such a strong person. All the stuff you've been going thru will only make you stronger. Can't wait to see you rockin it on tour! #diamondsr4ever!_

_**JacquiLeeLee: **jamesdiamond You are still yourself. You just get to get some new pretty teeth. You are still the same wonderful James. If anybody can't see that, just because of your teeth, then they didn't love you for you in the first place. #diamondsr4ever!_

_**Stephen****h****123: **jamesdiamond Don't feel bad about losing your teeth. Teeth are for losers anyway. Real men get wooden teeth like George Washington and such. #diamondsr4ever!_

_—Tap to load more ScuttButts—_

_._

Griffin leaned over James' shoulder, grinning as the teen continued to scroll through countless pages of comments, hazel eyes wide, finger rolling over the touch screen with meticulous wonder.

"Big Time Rush isn't going anywhere for a long time—and neither are you, James." Griffin confirmed, while Abdul closed the leather case. The white-haired businessman clapped James on the shoulder with genuine pride. "You guys are just getting started." He replied, knowingly, "_And __I __can__'__t __wait __to __see __you _**_succeed_**."

James nodded, and sank to the couch, clutching Kelly's phone in his hands desperately, eyes still glued to the screen.

To the left of ScuttleButtle, the BTR fanpage icon popped up, signifying a continuous stream of e-mails pouring into the band's inbox. It was too much to keep up with. Before James could click on one bubble, another had popped up; he read the best he could, darting back and forth between the multitude of pages. Kendall, Logan, and Carlos hovered beside him, shouting out what to click and reading the hilarious and heart-warming messages over top of him and each other in a loud bout of jumbled excitement.

.

_**To: Big Time Rush (James Diamond)**_

_**From: Super Dave**_

_Hey James, _

_When I was young and I lost a tooth I would get to put it in a treasure chest and keep it. Then I could visit my tooth anytime I wanted and talk about all the things we shared: the smiles, laughs, great food we ate; even the brushing, flossings and visits to the dentist. Keep your teeth in a treasure chest and then you and your new teeth can spend time visiting with your old teeth and form new friendships and share new adventures together. _

_You've got it made, man. Not everyone has so many perfect teeth (friends) in their lives…I'm jealous_

—_Super Dave_

_._

_**To: Big Time Rush (James Diamond)**_

_**From: Forget the Moon-Ignore the Sky**_

_James, _

_I know a lot of people are giving you a hard time right now, but remember your fans. We love you, no matter what! _

_You're the most amazing person and you have a heart of gold that doesn't deserve to be treated the way it is. But you have thousands of fans out there who love you, so don't give up, and don't forget them! _

_Love, _

_Megan_

_._

_**To: Big Time Rush (James Diamond)**_

_**From: Twisted Illusions**_

_James,_

_You're beautiful inside and out. With or without teeth. You're such a sweet, talented and gifted soul and you shouldn't let something as little as your teeth hold you back. Teeth are replaceable. They may never be your natural teeth, but they can look it, and no one will ever know the difference. And always remember that while teeth are replaceable, there is only ONE James Diamond. And no one can ever take your place! _

_Let's look past your minor "flaw" here and look at all your positives. You are hilarious! Seriously, one of the funniest people EVER. I have been so blessed to be able to meet you; you're charming, polite, and you always know just what to say to put a smile on my face! You're not like every teen heartthrob out there, you're a genuine soul and I like to consider you a friend! It breaks my heart to know you're so upset! You don't deserve such hardships and pain. _

_James, you're amazing. You're beautiful. You're one of a kind. You're…you. _

_Cheer up, hun, WE all LOVE you for YOU. _

_No matter what ! !_

_xoxo_

_._

"Way to go! Big Time Rush forever! WHOOOOHOOOO!" Katie yelled, running behind the counter and pulling out her boxes of bootleg BTR merchandise. This tour was going to make her a fortune!

Logan, Carlos and Kendall laughed, joining in on the little girl's revelry. Mama Knight gave Katie a look, then shook her head grinning.

"Let's hear it for mah dogs!" Gustavo howled as Kelly flung her arms around James' neck, hugging him from behind as he sat stunned on the orange couch. She kissed the side of his face, then dashed off with the rest of the crew to squeeze the decorum out of Griffin and his posse.

The apartment broke into a fit of cheers, as James' family and friends rejoiced around him. But he hardly noticed them as his eyes welled up with happy tears, reading and re-reading the thread from his incredible fans, overwhelmed and touched by the undying support of so many loving individuals; most of whom he had never even met.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, cheese...<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who submitted a comment to James! I hope it wasn't too long-They were all just so funny and/or sweet, I couldn't bear to leave any one of them out! Special thanks to BigTimeLovers14 too, for your awesome hash-tag, babe ! !**

**I appreciate you guys so much: readers, reviewers, critique-ers, buddies, face slappers…**

**Up ****next, ****the ****finale.**


	24. Chapter 24: Epilogue Beautiful

**A/N: *Snortle* Last chapter. **

**I just want to send out an absolutely sincere thanks to all of you amazing people. I'm beyond floored at the response this story has gotten. It's baffling. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that many of you have _actually_ quite enjoyed this! What coherent words can be used ? ! Geez…You guys mean a lot to me.**

**I've kept and read _every_ single one of your reviews, _over __and __over_…the short, the long, the insane ramblings at 2am…they are treasures to me. I appreciate them more than you could ever know.**

**Thank you SO much for being faithful readers, and for your unrelenting kindness and patience with this rookie author! ! ! **

***deep breath* **

**So… **

**Without further ado—****the conclusion.**

***sigh***

**.**

**Disclaimer: Big Time Rush is not my own. But they're welcome at my house anytime!**

**.**

Face Value

Chapter 24: Epilogue-Beautiful

"…Hey, James…_Pssst_—James…You still asleep? Hey…" Carlos sat on his knees in their untidy floor, eye level with the bed. His elbows rested on top of the sheets as he leaned almost nose-to-nose with James, repeatedly poking him.

Logan sat across the room, back propped against the headboard of Carlos' bed, perusing the latest edition of Doctor's Weekly. The spritely, sharp-witted brunette crossed his ankles and sighed, stopping his leisurely page flipping for a moment to gaze up at the Latino.

"Give it time, Carlos. People are drowsy after surgery."

Carlos peeked back at Logan and Kendall who were sitting behind him on his bed and jutted out his bottom lip, turning back around and resting his face on his fisted hands; tan cheeks smushed against them in a pout.

Kendall grinned at him and shifted forward on the foot of the bed. The ever-cool, collected leader took in a deep breath and released it meditatively, blowing the air out of his cheeks in a puff; then slapped his hands down on his knees, standing up from his place beside Logan. The bed frame let out a grating squeak as he rose, relieved from the slight pressure that had been weighing down on the end of it; even so, the noise did not disturb the subject of their observation.

"He is **really** sleepin'…" Kendall mused humorously, walking around Carlos in the floor to get a better view of James. He sat down on the edge of the other boy's bed then, carefully; looking down at their best bud who snored quietly, mouth partially opened, bundles of gauze packing puffing out his rosy, pinkish cheeks.

A little triangle of skin peeked out at James' stomach where his shirt had shifted upwards in his deep sleep. Kendall tugged at the hem, pulling it back down, and laughed. "I bet he doesn't even remember the ride home." He shook his head and smiled at Carlos and Logan, remembering the bustling events of the morning.

It had literally taken all three of them just to help Mama Knight get James out of the car. They'd staggered and stumbled through the lobby, James practically laying on top of them in his dopey, post-anesthetized state as they walked/_carried_ him into the elevator and up to the apartment; before finally guiding him into his and Carlos' bedroom where he'd collapsed on the blue and zebra-striped bed, immediately passing back out.

"Dude is out of it…" Kendall chuckled again, watching James snooze.

Logan nodded, grinning a bit. "I'm glad it's finally done." He told Kendall, "Now he can start feeling better—_Carlos_…stop poking James."

"Ughhh…" Carlos moaned, falling back onto his butt in the floor impatiently, before sprawling out on his back like a starfish. Logan leaned over the side of the bed, looking down at him, curiously. Carlos lifted his red wrist watch, and rolled his eyes at Logan, who seemed to peer at him upside down, from his current viewpoint.

"Is he gonna wake up anytime _today_?"

"Patience, Carlos…"

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh—Hey, look…He's starting to stir a little…"<em>

_._

"…_yeah…Yeah!—I think he's waking up…"_

_._

"..._Ugh_—_**Finally**!…"_

_._

Distant, hazy voices echoed in James' dreaming ears. The talking penetrated his fading slumber, growing closer and louder, and James rolled his head away from the sound, moaning a bit; not ready to open his eyes yet.

Just as he began his steady re-decent, sinking back into dreamland, he became vaguely aware of something jabbing him in the ribs. He slapped it away weakly, whining when it picked up again, tapping annoyingly on his forehead.

"Carlos, quit. You'll make him mad."

James rolled over then, slowly rousing at the familiar hum of his brainy friend's voice. He struggled to open his eyes, and they kept falling back closed; lids drooping four or five times before he successfully cracked them, squinting at the afternoon light.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. Did you have a nice nap, James?"

James blinked, eyes focusing on the blonde figure leaning over him.

"Mmm…wha?…huh?" he slurred, eyes threatening to close again as he wiggled his toes on top of the comforter, taking in the strange sensation of wearing only one sock. His hands spread out to his sides leisurely and smoothed over the blankets beneath him; he was on his bed, in his clothes. Except for the shoes…and one sock. He pried his eyes open again in confusion and glanced up, seeing his friends all huddled on the bed around him. He rubbed the back of his hand across his chin, jadedly wiping away a trickle of drool when it suddenly came back to him. James shot up in bed and gasped; wide awake now, remembering everything.

"MY TEETH!" he cried, "AM I PRETTY AGAIN?" He clapped his hands over his puffy jaws, frantically feeling of his stuffed face.

The three others smiled, exchanging a knowing look.

"Let's see," Kendall quipped walking over by the dresser to retrieve James' long forgotten hand mirror; while Logan perched in front of the boy on the bed.

The doctor wannabe reached between his friend's polished teeth, gently pulling out the dirtied gauze as Kendall returned, handing them the mirror. Carlos smiled crazily at James, virtually buzzing with excitement, and began to rock the entire bed, bouncing on the mattress as James reached out to take it.

James paused mid-way, then his shaky fingers stretched toward Kendall's again slowly; cautiously wrapping around the smooth, black plastic as he grasped the slender handle, raising the round mirror to himself, but closed his eyes, afraid to look.

"Go ahead, James." Logan coaxed. He smiled sweetly, "It's okay—I swear." James nodded back at Logan, swallowing hard, then looked around the small room, gazing into the patient, expectant eyes of his three best friends. Knowing them, they'd probably sat around the apartment all afternoon just so they'd all be there when he woke up. His heart thrilled at that thought, and he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He lifted the mirror once more, slowly; but still didn't look yet. He wasn't sure what to expect. His eyes followed the room, trying to gage his friends' response. He cleared his throat, nervously, squeezing the handle for dear life as he brought the little mirror closer.

Then at last..._though with great trepidation_...he dared himself to peer into the glass—

.

.

And he _smiled._

.

.

There, to James' great relief, he found his old, familiar reflection smiling back at him. **Beaming**.

Hazel eyes groggy, chestnut hair tussled…but just as he'd remembered it—

.

Absolutely. _Beautiful_.

* * *

><p><strong>Review? One more time? <strong>

…**or maybe for the first very time? **

**I'd like to hug you guys for reading this far. I wish I could thank everybody! (Please…Go to my profile after this and look for your name in my gigantic spiel. Anonymous people too!)**

**I hope to have some more things for you guys in the coming year. Until then, I'll definitely be reading plenty of YOUR fanfic! Everyone enjoy the winter solstice, have an Awesome Kwanza, the Happiest of Hanukkahs, and a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! ! !**

**Much peace & love, **

**Emmaleigh**


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